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Digitized  by  the  Internet  Archive 
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https://archive.org/details/javapearlofeastOOhigg 


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^tffgineon. 


A PRINCESS  OF  JAVA.  i2mo,  $1.50. 

JAVA:  The  Pearl  of  the  East.  In  Riverside 
Library  for  Young  People.  With  Map.  i6mo, 
73  cents. 

HOUGHTON,  MIFFLIN  & CO. 

Boston  and  New  York. 


KibersiiDp  ilibrar^  for  l^oung  people 


Number  7 

JAVA:  THE  PEARL  OF  THE  EAST 


By  S.  J.  HIGGINSON 


JAVA 


THE  PEARL  OF  THE  EAST 


S.  J.‘^IGGINSON 


WITH  A MAP  OF  THE  ISLAND 


BOSTON  AND  NEW  YORK 
HOUGHTON,  MIFFLIN  AND  COMPANY 
(StK  Eitiersitie  pmiii,  ^Tambritige 
1893 


Copyright,  1890, 
Br  S.  J.  HIGCmSON. 

All  rights  reserved. 


The  Riverside  Press,  Cambridge,  Mass.,  U.  S.  A. 
Electrotyped  and  Friuted  by  H.  O.  Houghton  & Company. 


©fbicattU  to 

MY  LITTLE  SON, 


S.  H. 


PREFACE 


The  object  of  this  little  volume,  wi'itten  by 
request,  is  to  give  to  tbe  young  people  of  this 
country,  in  as  concise  and  complete  a manner  as 
possible,  some  trustworthy  information  in  regard 
to  the  people,  the  wealth,  and  the  resources  of  the 
island  of  Java,  together  with  a brief  outline  of  its 
history.  To  do  this  accurately  and  intelligently, 
the  best  authorities  have  been  consulted,  not  only 
to  verify  the  author’s  own  experience,  but  to  ob- 
tain all  possible  items  of  interest  bearing  upon 
the  purpose  in  view. 

To  the  work  of  Sir  Stamford  Raffles,  an  ac- 
knowledged authority  on  Java,  the  author  is  much 
indebted. 


S.  J.  H. 


CONTENTS 


CHAPTER 

I.  Eastward  Bound 

II.  The  Straits  of  Sunda 

III.  The  First  Visits  of  Europeans 

IV.  Volcanoes,  Rivers,  and  General  Aspects  . 

V.  Pheno.mena 

VI.  Kr-\katoa  

VII.  Soil  and  Cldiate 

VIII.  Vegetation 

IX.  Vegetable  Fibres  and  Dyes 

X.  Woods  and  Trees 

XI-  Useful  Animals 

XII.  Wild  Animals  and  Game  . . . . 

XIII.  Feathered  Game 

XIV.  Reptiles 

XV.  The  Population 

XVI.  Houses  and  Dress 

XVII.  Food  and  Cooking 

XVIII.  Agriculture 

XIX.  Coffee,  Tobacco,  Pepper,  Cotton,  Indigo 
XX  Land  and  Government  . . . . . 

XXI.  Manufactures  and  Industries  . 

XXII.  The  Character  of  the  People 
XXIII.  Religion  and  Rank 


PAGE 

9 

15 

21 

28 

36 

41 

46 

50 

54 

57 

63 

67 

75 

81 

87 

91 

98 

101 

106 

112 

117 

120 

125 


CONTEXTS 


viii 

XXIV.  Some  Customs  and  Amusements  . . 131 

XXV.  The  Language 138 

XXVI.  Ancient  Tejeples  and  Palaces  . . 144 

XXVII.  Early  Inhabitants 154 

XXVIII.  Introduction  of  Mohammedanism  . . 159 

XXIX.  The  Fall  of  Modjopahit  . . . 163 

XXX.  Establishment  of  the  New  Faith  . . 170 

XXXI.  Usurpation  by  the  Dutch  . . . 173 

XXXII.  The  Empire  of  the  Dutch  ....  178 

XXXIII.  The  Dutch  East  Indies  ....  183 

XXXIV.  Life  in  Batavia 188 

XXXV.  Traveling  in  Java 195 


JAVA  : THE  PEARL  OF  THE  EAST 


CHAPTER  I. 

EASTWARD  BOUND. 

Among  the  many  lovely  islands  that  seem  to 
float  like  gardens  of  perpetual  bloom  on  the 
glassy  seas  beneath  the  equator,  none  are  so  re- 
splendent in  wealth  and  beauty  as  the  island  of 
Java.  To  distinguish  it,  and  in  allusion  to  its 
superiority,  it  has  long  been  termed  in  the  Malay 
Archipelago  the  “ Pearl  of  the  East,”  an  appel- 
lation which  its  rich  and  varied  resources  amply 
justify. 

To  reach  this  land  where  nature  revels  in  one 
eternal  summer,  it  is  necessary  to  make  a journey 
half-way  round  the  globe.  When  one  has  de- 
cided to  undergo  the  wear  and  tear  of  such  an 
extended  trip,  one  of  the  four  usual  routes,  each 
covering  about  equal  distances  from  New  York, 
and  requiring  about  the  same  number  of  days  to 
accomplish,  can  be  selected.  Perhaps  the  most  in- 
teresting is  by  way  of  San  Francisco,  and  thence 
by  steamer  across  the  Pacific  to  Japan,  China,  and 


10  .JAVA;  THE  PEARL  OF  THE  EAST 

Singapore,  the  Lion  City,  situated  on  an  island 
of  the  same  name  at  the  southern  extremity  of 
the  Malay  Peninsula.  Here  the  English  vessel 
is  left,  and  the  traveler  commits  himself  to  the 
care  of  one  of  the  Dutch  or  French  steamers 
which  ply  the  Java  Sea  between  this  port  and 
Bata\4a,  the  capital  of  the  Netherlands  Indies,  on 
the  island  of  Java. 

Another  desirable  route  is  by  what  is  termed 
the  “ French  Mail  ” — 3fessageries  JIaritimes  — 
from  Marseilles,  every  fortnight,  for  the  French 
colonies  in  the  East,  and  China  and  Japan,  which 
also  puts  one  down  at  Singapore.  The  mail 
steamers  known  as  those  of  the  Peninsular  and 
Oriental  Company,  sailing  every  alternate  week 
from  England,  vie  with  the  French  steamers  in 
offering  agreeable,  if  not  luxurious,  accommoda- 
tions, and,  like  the  others,  abandon  the  passenger 
for  Java  at  Singapore. 

The  Dutch  vessels,  leaving  Amsterdam  thrice 
monthly,  present  the  fourth  route,  and,  as  is 
usual  with  eastward-bound  steamers,  go  through 
the  Suez  Canal ; instead  of  touching  at  Colombo, 
on  the  island  of  Ceylon,  as  do  the  others  named, 
they  call  at  Padang,  a Dutch  settlement  on  the 
west  coast  of  Sumatra.  The  Dutch  government 
functionaries  are  sent  to  the  Netherlands  Indies 
by  these  steamers,  which  land  their  passengers  at 
Batavia.  This  route  gives  the  tourist  the  chance 
to  pick  up  a little  Dutch  and  Malay,  the  two  Ian- 


EASTWARD  BOUND 


11 


guages  most  prevalent  in  the  strange  countries 
whither  he  is  going ; an  advantage  not  to  be 
slighted  by  one  who  has  ever  experienced  the 
utter  bewilderment  that  seizes  the  stranger  sud- 
denly set  down  in  a country  and  climate  that 
makes  demands  entirely  new,  among  a people 
whose  language  he  has  never  heard,  and  whose 
ideas  and  habits  of  life  are  so  utterly  at  variance 
with  his  own  that  by  no  chance  can  they  make 
a guess  at  what  he  desires.  A few  words,  suffi- 
cient to  enable  him  to  call  a carriage,  order  a 
I meal,  and  insist  upon  a good  bed,  — the  first  in- 
dispensable under  the  equator,  — will  prove  of  in- 
calculable service  to  one  accustomed  to  the  snip 
and  snap  of  Western  energy,  when  forced  to  de- 
pend upon  the  languor  and  indifference  of  the 
I Oriental. 

Let  us  suppose  ourselves  on  board  the  Dutch 
steamer  en  route  for  Java ; the  Suez  Canal,  the 
; swarthy  Arabs  trotting  its  banks  to  keep  pace 
i with  the  steamers,  and  the  intolerable  heat  of  the 
I Red  Sea  behind  us,  and  we  traversing  the  track- 

iless  path  of  the  Indian  Ocean  to  reach  the  spicy 
isles  on  the  other  side.  With  what  surprised  ad- 
[.  miration  we  gaze  on  the  endless  waste  of  shining 
I water,  and  the  gigantic  fish  sporting  beneath  its 
glittering  surface ! How  we  struggle  through 
I the  sweltering  days,  wait  for  the  gorgeous  sunsets 
; piling  the  horizon  with  mountains  of  golden  glory, 
' and  enjoy  the  silvery  nights,  sheeny  with  a bril- 


12  JAVA:  THE  PEARL  OF  THE  EAST 

liant  softness  that  makes  us  feel  it  a sin  to  go 
below  and  shut  ouv  eyes  in  sleep  ! At  the  end  of 
three  weeks  we  come  into  the  region  of  storms 
and  cyclones,  where  we  are  treated  to  claps  of 
thunder,  gales  of  wind,  and  forked  streaks  of 
livid  flame  to  which  former  experiences  of  that 
nature  were  mere  play.  Early  in  the  morning  we 
hear  a Dutch  sailor  shouting  “ Land ! ” followed 
by  a rush  of  feet,  — every  one  is  running  up  on 
deck.  “ Land  ! land  ! ” continues  the  cry,  and  we 
follow  the  crowd  to  get  our  first  view  of  the  moun- 
tains of  Sumatra,  far  away,  hut  rising  green  and 
conical  into  a heaven  of  purest  blue.  While  we 
are  making  inquiries  of  our  nearest  neighbor, 
more  than  half  of  the  passengers  hurry  below, 
to  appear  again  shortly,  equipped  with  bonnets, 
hats,  gloves,  parasols,  and  umbrellas.  A sudden 
plunge  — whir-r-r-r  — the  anchor  is  overboard, 
and  they  are  going  ashore. 

Men,  naked  except  a fragment  of  cloth  drawn 
around  the  loins,  with  lithe,  supple  bodies  and 
brown  skins,  and  heads  wrapped  in  bright-colored 
handkerchiefs,  paddle  towards  us  in  small  boats 
packed  with  oranges,  bananas,  strange  fruits, 
cages  of  brilliant  parrots  and  other  birds,  and 
little  blue  monkeys.  “ Will  Xonya  ^ buy  ? ” 
“ Will  Tuan  ^ go  ashore?  ” is  the  burden  of  their 
query,  in  soft  voices,  and  with  words  that  aU  the 
Malayu  we  have  learned  does  not  enable  us  to  in- 

' Lady.  * Gentleman. 


EASTWARD  BOUND 


13 


terpret.  Soon  the  sales  are  all  made,  and  the  pas- 
sengers who  wish  to  spend  a day  on  shore  manage 
to  get  safely  down  the  side  of  the  ship  into  the 
little  boats,  and  are  rowed  into  the  harbor  of  Pa- 
dang,  beyond  which  the  town  looks  like  a speck 
of  white  against  the  dark  green  sloping  from  the 
plain  that  borders  the  coast,  upwards  and  back- 
wards to  the  towering  summit  of  Indrapoera. 

The  heat  of  that  day,  on  the  steamer  rocking 
gently  in  the  water  off  the  coast  of  Sumatra,  is 
something  to  think  about  mth  tears  in  one’s  eyes. 
Not  a breath  of  wind  disturbs  the  air,  and  the 
sun  pours  down  his  glaring  streams  of  fire,  like  de- 
vouring blasts  from  an  overcharged  furnace.  In 
vain  an  extra  force  is  ordered  to  the  punkahs, 
and  claret  with  seltzer  drunk  by  the  gallon.  The 
stifling  atmosphere  will  not  be  cooled,  nor  the 
human  frame  persuaded  uncomplainingly  to  ac- 
cept the  intolerable  heat.  When  the  day  is  over 
and  we  are  again  under  way,  threading  our  course 
clear  of  the  islands  that  skirt  the  west  coast  of 
Sumatra,  what  thankfulness  fills  our  hearts ! A 
sudden  storm  sending  us  out  to  sea,  our  captain 
heads  his  vessel  for  what  he  terms  the  southern 
passage,  and  the  next  welcome  shout  that  comes 
dovm  from  above  is  “ Java ! ” and,  as  before, 
everybody  hurries  on  deck,  to  gaze  delightedly 
on  the  distant  outline  of  a mountain  cone,  and 
later  a high  black  rock  called  Java  Head.  We 
are  approaching  the  entrance  to  the  Straits  of 


14  JAVA;  THE  EEARL  OF  THE  EAST 


Sunda,  through  which  it  is  necessary  to  pass  to 
reach  the  Java  Sea,  and  finally  arrive  at  the  port 
of  Batavia,  whither  our  stanch  steamer  is  bound. 

As  the  white  line  of  sandy  beach  becomes  more 
distinct,  the  air  grows  gradually  hotter,  a level 
foreground  defines  itself,  tall  palms  with  bare 
brown  trunks  wave  feathery  tops  over  the  edge  of 
the  shining  sea,  the  mountain  cone  looms  clear  and 
distinct  above  a silvery  belt  of  dissolving  cloud, 
and  the  dark  background  changes  into  a bright 
and  brilliant  green.  Brown  - haired  cocoanuts, 
which  we  mistake  for  human  heads,  bob  up  and 
doum  on  the  undulating  water  ; branches  of  pahns 
float  past  us,  and  rocks  and  stones,  swimming  as 
airily  as  empty  casks.  “ IVhat  phenomenon  is 
this  ? ” we  exclaim,  gazing  in  wonder  on  the  float- 
ing lava.  “ Pumice,  Mevrouw,  pumice  I ” answers 
a voice  near  us,  afterwards  explaining  how  the 
current  in  the  straits  is  constantly  bearing  away 
fragments  of  the  masses  throwm  out  of  the  late- 
belching  crater  of  Krakatoa. 


CHAPTER  II. 


THE  STRAITS  OF  SUNDA. 

Fairly  within  the  straits,  we  feel  the  newness, 
so  to  speak,  of  everything  within  the  range  of  our 
vision.  We  have  just  passed  the  low,  flat  fore- 
ground of  Sumatra,  which  stretches  away  to  the 
left,  gradually  rising  till  it  is  lost  in  the  clouds ; 
and  now,  our  captain  liaving  taken  what  the  Dutch 
call  the  Behouden,  or  secured  passage,  we  have 
the  white  pebbly  beach,  waving  palms,  and  occa- 
sional glimpses  of  the  rice  sawahs  ^ of  cTava  on 
one  side,  and  the  rugged  luxuriance  of  Prince’s 
Island  on  the  other. 

The  latter,  lying  in  the  entrance  of  the  straits, 
forms  tw'o  passages  to  the  harrow  channel.  One, 
the  Behouden,  running  between  the  island  and 
Java,  is  used  by  vessels  during  the  southeast  mon- 
soon, when,  getting  close  to  the  Java  shore,  safe 
anchorage  can  be  found,  and  they  are  not  carried 
back  to  sea  by  the  strong  currents  setting  to  the 
westward  at  this  time  of  the  year.  The  other 
passage,  on  the  Sumatra  side,  called  Het  Groote 
Gat,  or  the  great  channel,  is  much  wider,  and  is 
difficult  to  pass  during  the  southeast  monsoon. 

^ Rice  fields  capable  of  inundation. 


16 


JAVA:  THE  PEARL  OF  THE  EAST 


Sailing-vessels,  however,  coming  from  the  north 
and  west  during  this  season,  are  compelled  to 
enter  the  straits  by  the  Het  Groote  Gat,  as  it  is 
considered  almost  impossible  to  gain  the  opposite 
or  sheltered  side  in  the  face  of  the  determined 
opposition  of  wind  and  current. 

In  this  part  of  the  world  the  year  is  divided 
into  two  seasons,  termed  the  east  and  west  mon- 
soons, or,  in  other  words,  the  wet  and  dry.  The 
southeast  monsoon  sets  in  about  the  latter  part  of 
November,  when  the  trade-winds  blow  steadily 
from  the  west  with  great  violence  ; these  winds 
are  attended  with  heavy  rains,  and  continue  till 
March,  then  they  gradually  become  more  pacific, 
turning  in  April,  and  blowing  as  steadily  from 
the  east,  bringing  dry  weather,  brilliant  skies,  and 
constant  sunshine,  which  last  till  October.  The 
unsettled  intervals  between  the  monsoons  are 
termed  the  “ bantering  ” or  shifting  months,  dur- 
ing which  the  monsoons  break  uj}  and  the  winds 
change. 

To  return  to  our  passage  through  the  channel. 
As  we  proceed,  with  Java  on  our  right  and  Su- 
matra on  our  left,  the  balmiest  of  balmy  breezes 
salutes  our  cheeks,  bearing  odors  sweet  and  deli- 
cate from  the  blooming  groves  on  either  side.  As 
twilight  comes  on,  jaunty  little  green,  cone-shaped 
isles  rise  out  of  the  water,  with  long,  undidating 
streams  of  fire  gliding  away  from  their  symmet- 
rical base,  as  the  phosphorescent  waves,  washing 


THE  STRAITS  OF  SUNDA 


17 


lightly  against  them,  break,  separate,  and  recede, 
to  swell  the  glittering  surface  of  the  placid  blue. 
Gigantic  flies  hover  about  our  decks,  and  curious 
birds  follow  in  the  wake  of  our  vessel  and  perch 
upon  the  masts.  Southward,  long,  dark  belts 
of  wavy  clouds,  which  we  afterwards  learn  are 
composed  of  millions  of  small  blue  rice-birds, 
sail  swiftly  towards  the  mountains,  the  coming 
gloom  speeding  them  homeward  from  the  rice 
plantations ; while  masses  of  inky  blackness 
gathering  around  the  towering  peaks  presently 
burst  asunder,  revealing  streaks  of  flame,  and 
emptying  torrents  of  rain,  which  we  can  dis- 
tinctly see  through  the  clear  atmosphere,  though 
so  far  away  that  we  are  unable  to  catch  an  echo 
from  the  terrific  thunder  peals  by  which  they  are 
accompanied. 

Soon  the  spiry  summit  of  Emperor’s  Island 
shoots  up  and  is  left  behind ; also  the  desolate  re- 
mains of  Krakatoa,  the  precision  and  correctness 
of  its  sliced-off  rock  looking  as  if  the  stroke  of 
a mighty  cleaver  had  split  away  the  absent  half, 
when,  with  thunderous  cannonading,  it  disap- 
peared, a few  years  ago,  under  the  water,  where 
we  will  leave  it  at  present,  retirrning  for  com- 
ment hereafter. 

The  next  island  of  any  importance  is  “ Dwars 
in  den  AVeg,”  — thwart  the  way,  — situated  in  the 
middle  of  the  channel,  and  so  called  because,  as 
approached,  it  seems  to  block  up  the  passage, 


18  J.ITM.-  THE  PEAIIL  OF  THE  EAST 


here  fourteen  miles  wide,  between  Varken’s 
Hoek,  the  most  extended  point  of  Sumatra,  and 
the  opposite  coast  of  Java.  “ Dwars  in  den 
Weg  ” lies  flat  on  the  water,  is  covered  with 
green,  that  shines  and  glitters  in  the  moonlight, 
and  is  said  to  be  uninhabited. 

The  softness  and  brilliancy  increase  as  day- 
light entirely  fades  away,  and  we  seem  further 
to  penetrate  the  apparently  enchanted  regions 
whither  we  are  hurrying,  while  bright  points  of 
light  beginning  to  twinkle  in  the  green  beyond 
the  white  beach  line,  and  the  dull,  leaden  patches 
clearly  discernible  among  the  cocoas  and  palms, 
disclose  the'  gray  palm-thatch  of  the  Javanese  vil- 
lages, with  the  fm-ther  information  that  we  are 
passing  the  division  of  Java  still  knowTi  as  the 
Kingdom  of  Bantam,  celebrated  in  modern  times 
for  the  size  and  ferocity  of  its  tigers,  and  the  per- 
sistently rebellious  tendencies  of  its  hadjis  and 
princes. 

Point  St.  Nicholas  rounded  and  the  Bay  of 
Bantam  in  our  rear,  we  are  traversing  the  mirror- 
like surface  of  the  Java  Sea,  enraptured  with  the 
beauty  of  the  scene  around  us,  as  we  glide  past, 
one  by  one,  the  lovely  little  specks  known  as  the 
“ Thousand  Isles  ” that  dot  its  unbroken  calm, 
and  inhale  the  spicy  perfumes  w^afted  tow'ards  us 
from  their  mysterious  depths.  On  our  right,  the 
thread  of  silvery  beach  is  still  clearly  visible  ; 
beyond  it  is  a flat  foreground,  which  forms  a bor- 


THE  STRAITS  OF  SUN  DA 


19 


der  two  or  three  miles  in  width  along  the  coast, 
and  gradually  rises  to  the  crests  of  a mountain 
chain,  extending  east  and  west  as  far  as  we  can 
discern,  presenting  a succession  of  symmetrical 
cones,  rising  as  we  speed  along,  one  beyond  the 
other,  into  the  clear  moonlit  blue.  Spiral  columns 
of  cloud  or  smoke  curl  heavenward  from  the  apex 
of  one  or  two,  which  leads  to  a discussion  between 
two  Dutchmen  as  to  whether  it  proceeds  from  the 
crater  of  a volcano,  or  is  the  accumulated  vapor 
from  clouds  invisible  behind  the  towering  crests. 

A long  train  of  watery  fire  boils  and  bubbles  in 
our  wake,  and  the  little  black  dots  of  islands  still 
come  into  view  and  pass  out  of  sight,  while  the 
moon,  seemiugly  multiplied  a hundredfold  in  size 
and  brilliancy,  sails  above  our  heads  in  a sky  of 
deepest  sapphire  and  with  the  stars,  also  fabu- 
lously resplendent,  bestows  a light  so  lucid  and 
luminous  that  we  test  it  by  reading  with  ease  a 
page  of  medium  print  in  a book.  Huge  turtles 
float  like  cheese-boxes  on  the  shining  surface  of 
the  water.  Serpents,  many  yards  in  length,  swim 
with  heads  erect ; silvery  fish  spring  out  of  the 
depths  to  skim  over  the  glassy  wave,  then  sink 
again  out  of  sight ; and  night  - birds  suddenly 
swoop  down  upon  us,  and,  circling  round  our 
decks,  sail  away  towards  the  black  shores  with  an 
unfamiliar  cry. 

Still  speeding  forward,  and  sometimes  getting 
near  the  shore,  we  catch  faint  strains  of  soft, 


20  JAVA;  THE  PEARL  OF  THE  EAST 


melancholy  fnusic,  and  can  distinguish  the  long 
lines  of  cocoanut-  trees,  leaning  their  bunchy  tops 
out  over  the  water,  with  huge  fireflies  spasmodi- 
cally lighting  up  the  black  shadows  on  the  brink 
beneath.  Enveloped,  as  it  were,  in  magical 
beauty,  we  determine,  with  several  others,  to  get 
all  w^e  can  of  the  glory  by  passing  this,  the  last 
and  most  lovely  night  of  our  voyage,  in  great  arm- 
chairs on  deck ; allowing,  in  our  dreamy  enjoy- 
ment, the  perfumed  breeze  to  fan  our  faces,  and, 
contrary  to  our  intention,  beguile  us  into  sleep. 

A second  whir-r-r-r  harshly  breaks  in  upon  our 
slumbers,  when,  hastily  springing  to  our  feet,  we 
are  amazed  to  find,  instead  of  the  silvery  softness 
of  the  brilliant  moon,  the  first  streaks  of  early 
dawn,  and  close  beside  us  a guard-ship  with  the 
Dutch  ensign  floating  from  her  mast.  With  re- 
gret we  perceive  that  our  long  voyage  is  over,  — 
our  anchor  has  dropped  in  the  roads  of  Batavia. 
In  the  distance,  catching  the  first  rays  of  the  early 
sun,  we  see  some  long,  low  white  buildings,  the 
outposts,  we  are  told,  of  the  beautiful  capital  of 
Java,  acknowledged  by  all  who  have  ever  visited 
her  to  be  justly  entitled  tocher  ancient  cognomen 
of  “ Queen  of  the  East.” 


CHAPTER  III. 


THE  FIRST  VISITS  OF  EUROPEANS. 

Some  geographers  tell  us  that  Java  is  one  of 
the  Sunda  Islands,  others  that  it  forms  one  of  the 
Malayan  group.  In  either  case,  it  belongs  to  the 
East  Indian  Archipelago,  lying  in  that  distant 
and  mysterious  part  of  the  world  called  Oceania, 
and  is  one  of  the  largest,  and  by  far  the  richest, 
the  most  beautiful,  the  most  highly  cultivated,  and 
the  most  improved,  among  all  the  dots  of  per- 
petual verdure  that  comprise  the  Asiatic  isles. 

The  natives  call  it  “ Jawa  ” instead  of  Java,  a 
name  supposed  by  some  to  be  taken  from  that  of 
a grain  called  Jawa-woet,  which  grew  plentifully 
upon  the  island  in  earlier  times.  Others  assert 
that  the  word  Jawa  is  a perversion  of  the  Sanscrit 
word  Yava,  — barley, — because  Java  has  some- 
times been  termed  the  land  of  barley ; and  again, 
that  it  is  derived  from  tjie  word  Jau,  — the  land 
beyond  or  veiy  distant. 

It  is  situated  south  of  the  equator,  between  105° 
10'  and  114°  34'  E.  long,  and  5°  52'  and  8°  46'  S. 
lat.  Its  length  from  Java  Head  on  the  Straits 
of  Sunda  to  East  Point  on  the  Strait  of  Bali 
is  666  statute  miles.  Its  greatest  width  is  135 


22 


JAVA:  THE  PEARL  OF  THE  EAST 


)uiles,  its  narrowest  limit  56,  and  its  area  51,350 
square  miles.  On  the  east  it  is  separated  by  the 
Strait  of  Bali  (ten  miles  wide)  from  the  island 
of  the  same  name,  and  on  the  west  the  Straits  of 
Sunda  flow  between  it  and  the  island  of  Sumatra. 
The  placid  waters  of  the  Java  Sea  lave  its  palm- 
fringed  coast  on  the  north,  while  the  high  cliffs 
that  guard  the  south  coast  are  ever  washed  by  a 
long  line  of  dangerous  breakers,  formed  by  the 
inrolling  waves  of  the  Indian  Ocean.  The  popu- 
lation is  22,000,000. 

Before  the  Mohammedan  conquest  of  Java,  in 
1400  of  the  Javan  era,  ^ the  whole  island  was  un- 
der the  dominion  of  one  sovereign.  It  was  subse- 
quently divided  between  two  independent  nations, 
and  later  into  several  distinct  kingdoms.  After 
the  Europeans  came  into  power,  the  northern  half 
of  the  island  was  divided  into  fifteen  residencies, 
which  have  been  added  to,  tiU  at  present  there  are 
twenty-five,  each  having  a separate  administration, 
but  aU  subject  to  the  government  of  one  central 
authority. 

In  the  year  1510  of  the  Christian  era,  the 
Portusfuese  first  arrived  in  the  East  Indian  Ar- 
chipelago.  In  the  following  year  their  chief, 
Alphonzo  d’ Albuquerque,  subjugating  the  city  of 
Malacca,  invited  the  trade  of  the  surrounding 
islands,  promising  them  protection,  and  opened 
an  intercourse  with  Java.  Xakoda  Ismael,  a 

1 About  seventy-five  years  later  than  the  Christian  era.  See 
page  157. 


THE  FIBST  VISITS  OF  EUBOPEANS'  23 

Moor,  who  had  trading  relations  wdth  Malacca,  in 
returning  from  the  Moluccas  with  a cargo  of  nut- 
inesfs  was  wrecked  on  the  coast  of  Java;  but  sue- 
ceeding  in  saving  his  cargo  of  spices,  the  governor 
of  Malacca,  in  the  year  1513,  sent  a commander 
j with  four  vessels  to  obtain  it.  This  little  fleet 
was  well  received  by  the  Javanese,  and  the  Portu- 
i guese,  continuing  to  trade  with  the  spice  islands, 
generally  touched  at  the  ports  of  Java,  which  led 
to  a treaty  of  friendship  between  the  governor 
of  Malacca  and  the  king  of  Sunda  (a  western  di- 
vision of  Java),  on  account  of  the  pepper  pro- 
duced in  that  kingdom.  The  advantages  of  trad- 
ing in  the  East  soon  attracted  the  attention  of 
other  European  powers,  and  the  Dutch  and  Eng- 
lish soon  followed  the  Portuguese.  Accounts  of 
the  first  two,  as  given  by  Sir  Stamford  Raffles, 
governor-general  of  Java  under  the  English  ad- 
ministration, read  as  follows  : — 

“ The  first  voyage  made  by  the  Dutch  was  in 
1595,  in  which  year  their  first  fleet,  under  the 
command  of  Houtman  (who  had  been  previously 
employed  by  the  Portuguese  in  the  East  India 
service),  sailed  direct  to  Bantam.  At  this  period 
the  Portuguese  were  at  war  with  the  king  of  Ban- 
tam, to  whom  Houtman  offered  assistance,  in  re- 
turn for  which  he  obtained  permission  to  build  a 
factory  ^ at  Bantam,  which  was  the  first  settlement 
by  the  Dutch  in  the  East  Indies. 

^ Trading  station. 


24  JAVA:  THE  PEARL  OF  THE  EAST 

“ Following  the  example  of  the  Dutch,  the  Eng- 
lish East  India  Company,  immediate!}'  after  their 
incorporation  by  Queen  Elizabeth  in  1601,  fitted 
out  a fleet  of  four  ships,  the  command  of  which 
was  intrusted  to  Captain  Lancaster,  who  sailed 
from  London  in  1602,  first  to  Acheen  (Ache), 
on  Sumatra,  where  he  procured  part  of  his  cargo, 
and  entered  into  a treaty  with  the  king,  of  which 
a copy  is  yet  in  existence.  From  Acheen  he  went 
to  Bantam,  and  settled  a factory  there,  which  was 
the  first  possession  of  the  English  in  the  East  In- 
dies. Captain  Lancaster  brought  home  a letter 
from  the  king  of  Bantam  to  Queen  Elizabeth  in 
1602,  which  is  still  in  the  State  Paper  Office.  In 
1610,  the  first  Dutch  governor-general.  Bolt,  ar- 
rived at  Bantam,  and,  finding  the  situation  of  his 
countrymen  in  that  pro^dnce  not  favorable  to  the 
establishment  of  a permanent  settlement,  removed 
to  Jakatra.  On  the  fourth  of  March,  1621,  the 
name  of  Batavia  was  conferred  upon  the  new 
establishment  of  the  Dutch  in  Jakatra,  which 
from  that  period  became  the  capital  of  their  East 
Indian  Empire.  In  1683,  the  English,  who  had 
maintained  a successful  rivalry  with  the  Dutch, 
withdrew  their  establishment  from  Bantam. 

“ In  the  year  1811,  Holland  having  become  a 
province  of  France,  the  French  flag  was  hoisted 
at  Batavia ; and  on  the  11th  of  September,  in 
the  same  year,  the  British  government  was  de- 
clared supreme  in  Java,  by  a proclamation  of 


THE  FIRST  VISITS  OF  EUROPEANS  25 

that  date  signed  by  the  Earl  of  Minto,  governor- 
general  of  Bengal.  On  the  17th  of  the  same 
month,  a capitulation  was  entered  into,  by  which 
all  the  dependencies  feU  into  the  hands  of  Great 
Britain.  On  the  13th  of  August,  1814,  a conven- 
tion was  entered  into  by  Viscount  Castlereagh, 
on  the  part  of  his  Britannic  Majesty,  restoring  to 
the  Dutch  the  whole  of  their  former  possessions 
in  the  Eastern  Islands ; and  on  the  19th  of  Au- 
gust, 1816,  the  flag  of  the  Netherlands  was  again 
hoisted  at  Batavia.” 

The  loss  of  Java  at  that  time  was  not  consid- 
ered a calamity  by  the  Dutch,  for  the  previous 
ruin  of  the  Dutch  East  India  Company  had  ren- 
dered it  a burden  to  Holland.  In  short,  the 
Dutch  possessions  in  the  East  had  such  an  un- 
toward financial  and  commercial  outlook  that 
I their  conquest  by  England,  although  very  morti- 
! fying,  could  scarcely  be  regarded  as  a national 
I misfortune.  The  transfer,  however,  was  only 
I temporary.  Since  the  19th  of  August,  1816,  the 
j possession  of  the  island  has  remained  with  the 
Dutch.  In  1619,  a succeeding  governor-general, 

, John  Pietersen  Coen,  quite  destroyed  the  town 
I of  Jakatra,  and  established  another  city  on  the 
i inland  site  of  the  old  foundation,  on  a spot  which 
) he  considered  more  healthy,  and  proposed  to  call 
[ it  New  Horn,  after  the  town  of  his  birth,  in  Hol- 
' land ; but  it  was  christened  Batavia,  March  4, 

' 1621,  and  became  the  capital  of  the  Dutch  East 


26  JAVA;  THE  PEARL  OF  THE  EAST 

Indian  Empire.  The  southern  half  of  the  island 
passed  under  the  Dutch  Protectorate  in  1749, 
according  to  a treaty  bearing  that  date,  and  was 
divided  into  the  two  native  kingdoms  Soerakarta 
and  Djokjokarta,  both  governed  by  native  sover- 
eigns, under  the  espionage  of  the  Dutch. 

The  principal  cities  and  seaports  are  those  of 
Batavia,  Saraarang,  and  Soerabaja  on  the  Java 
Sea.  The  two  last-named  cities  are  handsome 
and  well  laid  out  in  clean  wide  streets  and  fine 
squares,  and  are  adorned  ndth  many  spacious  and 
imposing  buildings.  They  possess  a number  of 
sumptuous  private  dwellings  surrounded  with 
beautiful  grounds,  the  homes  of  high  Dutch  func- 
tionaries and  rich  merchants  who  are  fond  of  the 
Oriental  luxury  of  the  East.  Batavia,  how’ever, 
the  seat  of  government,  far  exceeds  the  others  in 
grandeur  and  magnificence,  and  is,  in  truth,  one 
of  the  most  beautiful  cities  in  the  world.  Here 
the  successful  European,  attended  by  a retinue 
of  servants,  dwells  in  a degTee  of  splendor  that 
w'ould  dazzle  the  eyes  of  his  poorer  relatives  at 
home. 

Buitenzorg  — meaning  wdthout  care,  and  thus 
named  by  a Dutch  governor-general  — is  a lovely 
suburb  some  thirty-six  miles  south  of  Batavia.  It 
is  celebrated  for  its  magnificent  botanical  garden, 
and  for  being  the  country-seat  of  the  Governor- 
Generals  of  Java.  The  garden  is  said  to  be  the 


THE  FIRST  VISITS  OF  EUROPEANS  27 

finest  and  largest  botanical  inclosure  in  the  world, 
and  contains  specimens  of  every  known  variety  and 
species  of  tropical  plant.  It  quite  surrounds  the 
palace  of  the  Governor-General,  which  with  its 
dependencies  and  a number  of  handsome  private 
residences  comprise  a town  beautifully  situated  on 
the  side  of  one  of  the  sloping  spurs  of  the  Gedeh. 
A short  distance  below  the  village  the  descent 
meets  the  base  of  the  Salak,  which  slowly  rises 
opposite  till  its  battered  rim  is  capped  by  the 
gathering  clouds.  The  fires  of  the  last-named 
volcano  have  long  been  dormant,  but  the  Gedeh 
gives  notice  of  its  ceaseless  activity  by  mighty 
tremors  and  thunderous  rumblings  at  short  inter- 
vals. The  government  cinchona  nurseries  are  at 
Buitenzorg. 

There,  are  many  other  pretty  towns  in  Java, 
especially  on  the  northern  coast,  where  are  also 
I excellent  harbors.  Notwithstanding  the  danger- 
j ous  swell  that  breaks  on  the  southern  coast,  it 
I possesses  two  or  three  points,  for  instance  Patji- 
! tan,  Tjilatjap,  and  Wynkoops  Bay,  where  good 
' anchorage  might  be  obtained  if  the  government 
1 deemed  it  advisable  to  attract  to  that  exposed 
i side  of  the  island  the  enterprising  and  adventur- 
I ous  spirits  who  seek  fortune  in  Eastern  seas. 


CHAPTER  IV. 


VOLCAJfOES,  RIVERS,  AND  GENERAL  ASPECTS. 

As  we  ascend  towards  the  interior  of  Java  the 
scenery  is  lovely  and  majestic  beyond  description. 
An  unbroken  chain  of  pyramidal  cones,  ranging 
from  three  to  thirteen  thousand  feet  in  height,  ex- 
tends through  the  centre  of  the  whole  length  of 
the  island.  There  are  forty-seven  distinct  moun- 
tains, each  rising  from  a round  and  separate  base, 
seventeen  of  which  are  active  volcanoes. 

The  Karang,  which  we  saw  while  far  out  at  sea 
and  as  we  approached  Java  Head,  is  the  first  of 
the  series  on  the  west.  Then  follow  the  Salak,  the 
Gedeh,  the  Sindoro,  the  Tankoeban-Prahoe,  the 
Oengarang,  Merbaboe,  Merapi,  Arjuna,  Sermiroe, 
and  Tagal,  succeeded  by  many  others.  Those 
named  are  some  of  the  volcanoes,  varying  in  ele- 
vation from  eight  to  thirteen  thousand  feet,  the 
Sermiroe  being  the  highest.  The  bases  of  these 
gigantic  and  symmetrical  elevations  are  almost 
level  with  the  sea ; their  sides,  sloping  upwards 
to  their  pointed  summits,  are  covered  with  rich 
plantations  and  forest  jungles  nearly  to  the 
throats  of  their  gaping  craters,  some  of  which 


VOLCANOliS,  RIVEES,  GENERAL  ASPECTS  29 

continually  send  forth  smoke  and  sulphurous  va- 
pors, while  others  are  supposed  to  be  extinct. 

Eruptions  in  these  regions,  where  the  earth’s 
crust  is  so  thin  that  it  cracks  and  splits  with- 
out apparent  effort,  cause  but  little  alarm,  unless 
attended  with  copious  and  violent  expulsions  of 
ashes,  stones,  boiling  water,  and  lava,  which  sud- 
denly overwhelm  and  submerge  the  surrounding 
districts.  The  inhabitants,  always  apprehensive, 
take  the  precaution  of  erecting  their  dwellings 
with  one  story,  to  avoid  any  unpleasant  toppling 
of  their  domiciles  about  their  ears.  Some  of  the 
craters  are  filled  with  water,  which  constantly 
boils  up  from  below.  One  especially,  the  Bromo 
on  the  Teng’gers,  has  a lake  of  boiling  sulphur- 
ous mud. 

I Thousands  and  thousands  of  human  beings 
i have  perished  by  earthquakes  in  Java,  but  where 
I the  population  is  so  dense,  life  is  held  very  cheap, 
and  as  long  as  only  natives  or  native  villages  are 
destroyed,  very  little  is  said.  It  appears  to  be  the 
policy  of  the  government  to  suppress  the  circula- 
tion of  disturbing  news.  The  Papandajung,  a 
mud  volcano,  situated  in  the  district  of  Cheri- 
bon,  was  formerly  one  of  the  largest  volcanoes  on 
the  island  ; but  in  the  last  century  more  than  one 
half  of  it,  covering  an  area  fifteen  miles  long 
and  six  broad,  was  suddenly  swallowed  in  a stu- 
pendous combustion,  which  at  the  same  time 
gulped  down  and  otherwise  annihilated  some 


30  JAVA:  THE  PEABL  OF  THE  EAST 

forty  native  villages,  with  many  valuable  coffee, 
cotton,  and  indigo  plantations  in  its  adjacent 
neighborhood,  and  a corresponding  number  of 
cattle. 

The  summits  of  these  cones  are  composed  of 
naked  rock  or  ice,  or  they  are  covered  with  vege- 
tation, the  jungle  often  reaching  to  the  very 
brim  of  the  crater.  Boiling  streams,  which  have 
their  origin  in  the  fiery  depths  of  the  craters,  or 
apertures  that  gape  on  their  tops,  rush  down  their 
teeming  declivities,  not  infrequently  side  by  side 
wdth  streams  that  are  clear  and  icy  cold,  bearing 
the  drainings  of  the  hail  and  snow  above.  Nearly 
aU  the  volcanoes  are  striped  with  vertical  ridges, 
which  become  beds  of  rivers  during  the  rainy 
seasons. 

Besides  the  high  mountains  just  mentioned, 
there  are  many  chains  of  smaller  elevations,  ex- 
tending in  various  directions,  and  forming  low, 
separate,  and  independent  ranges,  some  of  which 
bear  evidences  of  volcanic  origin  and  others  of 
submarine  construction.  Many  are  covered  with 
large  rocks  of  basalt ; some  are  of  calcareous 
constitution,  and  in  the  beds  of  the  rivers  about 
their  base  flint,  jasper,  agate,  carnelian,  and  por- 
phyry are  found. 

The  limited  area  of  the  island  does  not  admit 
of  any  long  or  very  powerful  water-courses,  yet, 
such  as  they  are,  they  are  abundant,  and  very  re- 
spectable in  length,  depth,  and  width  ; aU  flowing 


VOLCANOES,  EIVEES,  GENEEAL  ASPECTS  31 

from  tlie  mountains  towards  the  sea  on  both  sides 
of  the  high  central  volcanic  crest,  and  each  in- 
creasing fabulously  in  strength  and  volume  dur- 
ing the  wet  monsoon.  The  Solo  is  the  largest 
and  most  important  river  on  the  island.  It  has 
its  source  among  the  hills  in  the  interior  district 
of  Kadawang,  and  flows  in  an  eastei’ly  direction 
before  emptying  itself  into  the  sea  near  Soera- 
baja.  Its  length,  owing  to  its  extraordinary 
doubling  upon  itself,  is  about  360  miles,  while  the 
actual  distance  from  its  source  to  the  sea  is  not 
over  140.  Soerakarta,  the  capital  of  the  Soe- 
soenan  (highest  native  sovereign),  is  situated  on 
the  Solo  Kiver.  , 

The  na^^gation  of  the  Solo  is  of  the  utmost 
importance  to  the  inland  trade,  which  depends 
upon  its  waters  to  float  the  industry  of  the  vil- 
lages aiid  the  produce  of  the  country  to  the  sea- 
port. During  the  rainy  season  the  boats  that  ply 
the  stream  are  of  a considerable  size,  but  have  to 
give  place  to  those  of  much  smaller  dimensions 
when  the  swollen  stream  shrinks  during  the  dry 
monsoon  to  less  than  one  half  its  former  propor- 
tions. Vessels  float  with  the  current  from  Soe- 
rakarta down  to  Gresek,  on  the  east  coast,  in  seven 
or  eight  days,  carrying  the  spices  and  coffees  of 
the  interior,  which  are  exchanged  for  salt  and 
various  desirable  articles  of  foreign  importation 
to  transport  inland.  This  sort  of  trade  may 
appear  very  profitable,  but  as  it  requires  four 


32  JAVA:  TUE  PEARL  OF  THE  EAST 

months  to  beat  up  the  stream  again  to  Soerakarta, 
only  one  voyage  can  be  made  in  a season ; there- 
fore all  the  profit  goes  to  pay  for  the  time  spent  I 

All  the  rivers  in  Java  partake  of  the  general 
characteristics  of  the  Solo,  each  rising  somewhere 
in  the  mountains  in  the  middle  of  the  island,  and 
flowing  either  on  one  side  or  the  other,  to  the  sea, 
bearing  the  products  of  the  interior.  Some  of 
those  that  seek  the  coast  on  the  southern  side 
are  choked  up  at  the  mouth  with  banks  of  sand, 
forced  therein  by  the  hea^’7  surf  of  the  Indian 
Ocean.  On  the  northern  coast,  the  mud  and  soil 
are  carried  dowm  from  the  rice  districts,  and  are 
arrested  at  their  debouchure  by  the  opposing 
w’aters  of  the  Java  Sea,  forming  a bar,  which 
is  overcome  by  projecting  piers,  built  to  facili- 
tate easy  entrance. 

Extensive  swamps  spread  over  large  districts  in 
various  parts  of  the  lowlands  of  Java,  and  are 
utilized  by  being  converted  into  rice  sawahs, 
where  an  abundance  of  mud  and  W'ater  is  ne- 
cessary. These  mud  flats  are  drained,  culti- 
vated, and  inundated  at  will,  and  thus  ren- 
dered useful  and  absolutely  indispensable  to  the 
support  of  the  millions  that  crowd  the  island  and 
subsist  entirely  on  rice.  The  country  is  almost 
destitute  of  lakes  of  any  size,  though  there  are 
several  small  bodies  of  fresh  or  sidphurous  water 
shining  here  and  there  among  the  mountains,  that 
are  generally  supposed  to  be  the  depressions  of 


VOLCANOES,  RIVERS,  GENERAL  ASPECTS  33 

extinct  volcanoes  since  filled  up  with  water  from 
beneath.  Some  have  no  apparent  outlet,  neither 
do  they  receive  the  accumulations  of  any  visible 
stream. 

As  we  descend  the  mountains  towards  the  Java 
Sea  on  the  northern  coast,  the  aspect  of  the  coun- 
try, as  we  approach  the  water,  is  low  and  fiat, 
but  to  reach  it  we  must  pass  through  some  of  the 
most  romantic  and  magnificent  scenery  in  the 
world.  Waving  forests,  cloud-capped  mountains, 
rushing  streams,  silvery  cataracts,  sparkling  pools, 
and  shady  groves  alternate  wth  teeming  plan- 
tations of  rice,  coffee,  tea,  cinchona,  cocoanut, 
banaua,  orange,  lime,  and  pineapple,  which  are 
presided  over  by  the  sovereign  planter,  who  lives 
as  a prince  in  a palace-like  bungalow,  with  hun- 
dreds or  thousands  of  humble  natives  who  are 
willing  to  kneel  at  his  nod.  Add  to  the  fore- 
going the  inspiring  delights  of  the  pure  atmos- 
phere, the  brilliant  tints  of  the  tropical  sky,  the 
glowing  warmth,  the  redundant  life,  perpetual 
bloom,  and  unfailing  perfumes  saturating  the 
ceaselessly  soft  and  balmy  breeze,  with  its  seduc- 
tive and  intoxicating  influences,  and  we  have  a 
condition  of  life  not  easily  described,  and  one 
that  is  particularly  charming  to  the  visitor  from 
colder  zones,  when  contrasted  with  the  stunted 
growths  and,  by  comparison,  barren  fields  of 
northern  latitudes.  With  what  wonder,  delight, 
and  admiration  the  traveler  from  hardier  climes 


34  JAVA:  THE  PEARL  OF  THE  EAST 

regards  this  palpitating,  voluptuous  beauty ! How 
he  longs  with  all  his  heart  to  transport  it,  with  its 
brilliant  life,  warmth,  and  dreamy  glory,  to  the 
less  inspiring  but  more  energetic  regions  that  form 
his  own  temperate  home ! 

Tobacco,  tea,  coffee,  and  various  luscious  fruits 
that  require  a colder  climate  than  prevails  in  the 
low  regions  near  the  coast,  are  extensively  culti- 
vated on  the  broad  plains  and  plateaux  dis- 
covered far  up  on  the  mountain  sides,  between 
the  vast  forests  that  cover  the  uniform  declines. 
Jungles  of  rank  and  impenetrable  growth  are 
found  everywhere : on  the  mountains  they  are 
coverts  for  wild  beasts ; on  the  plains,  the  abode 
of  dreaded  reptiles  and  noxious  insects,  their  mo- 
rassy  foundations  furnishing  the  most  prolific 
propagating  grounds. 

Elce,  sugar,  and  cocoanuts  are  the  principal 
important  productions  cultivated  on  the  lowlands 
skirting:  the  sea-coast.  Advancing  from  the  lat- 
ter  towards  the  interior,  the  heat  and  sultriness  are 
gradually  exchanged  for  the  bracing  and  refresh- 
ing currents  of  mountain  air,  which  grow  more 
cool  and  invigorating  every  step  we  take,  till  at  last 
we  encounter  the  cold  winds  of  the  north,  and  see 
around,  us  the  rugged  oaks -and  stunted  and  mea- 
gre shrubbery  of  a northern  clime.  In  a few 
hours’  travel,  a climate  of  any  temperature  may 
be  found.  If  we  continue  our  journey  and*  reach 
the  summits  of  the  highest  peaks,  the  cutting 


T'OiC.l*VO£'S,  BIVEES,  GENERAL  ASPECTS  35 


blasts  of  Arctic  regions  will  make  us  wish  for 
furs  and  blankets,  while  we  shiver  around  a blaz- 
ing forest  fire,  or  thankfully  cuddle  up  in  a well- 
warnied  mountain  hut,  escaping  the  gales  outside 
with  infinite  relief  and  satisfaction. 


CHAPTER  V. 


PHENOMENA. 

Among  the  endless  varieties  of  phenomena  that 
hourly  meet  the  astonished  gaze  of  the  ti’aveler 
in  Java,  the  hot  wells  may  be  mentioned  as  one 
of  the  most  singular.  Those  that  are  most  ac- 
cessible and  most  frequented  by  tourists  in  search 
of  the  curious  are  situated  in  the  province  of 
Cheribon,  in  the  midst  of  a plain  that  is  per- 
fectly white  from  the  coating  laid  on  by  the  sul- 
phurous vapor  constantly  rising  from  its  porous 
surface.  The  water  in  these  wells  maintains  difEer- 
ent  degi’ees  of  heat  below  boiling,  and  their  sides 
are  white  with  chalkstone  incrustations,  wliich 
also  extend  over  the  trees  in  their  vicinity, 
from  the  branches  of  which  they  are  often  sus- 
pended in  the  form  of  snowy  stalactites.  Calca- 
reous formations  abound  throughout  this  region, 
and  rocks  covered  with  beautiful  crystals  of 
calc-spar  are  sprinkled  over  the  plains  and  val- 
leys. Petroleum  is  likewise  abundant  in  this 
district  in  depressed  spots,  where  the  oil  floats 
in  patches  upon  the  water,  emitting  its  unmis- 
takable odor.  The  ground  about  these  depres- 


PHENOMENA  37 

sions  is  thoroughly  impregnated  wnth  oil,  which 
can  be  jjressed  fi-oin  the  earth  with  the  hand. 

In  certain  vicinities  in  the  eastern  interior  of 
the  island  there  are  a series  of  mud  wells,  termed 
Bledeg.  The  mud  is  warm,  but  not  hot,  and  is 
frequently  mixed  with  salt,  which  causes  the 
Bledeg  to  be  sometimes  spoken  of  as  salt  wells. 
In  some  cases  salt  water  alone  is  forced  up 
through  the  apertures  in  the  rocks,  with  consider- 
able violence,  but  generally  the  term  Bledeg  is 
applied  to  salt  mud,  sometimes  in  wells  or  sepa- 
rate masses.  In  one  instance  the  mud  forced  up 
by  the  gas  underneath  rises  regularly  at  short  in- 
tervals in  a spherical  mass,  which  explodes,  spread- 
ing itself  in  all  directions.  These  warm  and  pal- 
pitating mud  hills  are  distributed  in  a circular 
plain  impregnated  with  oil  and  salt,  and  their  ex- 
plosions are  said  to  increase  in  frequency  and  vio- 
lence during  the  rainy  periods.  They  are  said  to 
owe  their  origin  to  the  general  volcanic  proclivi- 
ties that  distinguish  Java  and  the  surrounding 
islands.  Gaseous  mud  and  gaseous  wells  of  dif- 
ferent kinds  are  quite  common.  In  one  locality 
there  are  gas  fountains,  which  shoot  their  blazing 
vapor  far  up  into  the  air,  and  are  regarded  with 
reverence  by  the  natives,  who  give  them  the  name 
of  Holy  Fires. 

In  no  part  of  the  world  are  volcanic  forma- 
tions more  apparent  than  in  the  Sunda  Isles, 
which  continually  present  the  most  curious  erup- 


38  JAVA:  THE  PEARL  OF  THE  EAST 

tive  phenomena.  The  volcanoes  of  Java  and 
those  of  her  neighbors  display  the  most  vindictive 
spirit,  and  seem  to  delight  in  venting  their  ire 
in  frequent  earthquakes,  and,  at  intervals,  vio- 
lent expulsions,  spreading  terror,  death,  and  de- 
struction for  miles  around  ; such  was  the  charac- 
ter of  the  outburst  of  the  Tambora  in  1815,  on 
the  island  of  Sumbawa,  which  is  very  close  to 
Java.  Such,  also,  was  the  recent  eruption  of 
Krakatoa,  in  the  Straits  of  Sunda,  and  the  out- 
break, in  1886,  of  the  Sermiroe.  The  Sermiroe 
exhibits  an  extremely  singular  phenomenon.  It 
is  high,  narrow,  and  very  pointed  towards  the  top, 
from  which  smoke  issues  all  the  time,  and  every 
morning,  at  about  eight  o’clock,  it  shoots  upward 
with  great  force  an  immense  quantity  of  smoke 
and  ashes,  sometimes  accompanied  with  stones 
and  rocks,  which  fall  back,  and  roll  down  the 
mountain  side. 

The  Bromo,  or  Brama  (from  the  god  of  fire), 
on  the  Teng’gers  mountain  range,  is  the  most  in- 
teresting volcano  in  Java.  It  is  situated  in  the 
centre  of  what  is  known  as  the  Sandy  Sea,  which 
is  simply  the  denuded  bottom  of  an  extinct  crater, 
the  sand  of  which,  when  blown  by  the  vind,  takes 
the  appearance  of  rippling  ocean  waves.  The 
Sandy  Sea  is  eight  hundred  feet  below  the  sur- 
roimding  brim,  and  five  miles  in  diameter,  and  is 
supposed  to  be  the  largest  crater  in  the  world. 
Three  separate  cones  rise  from  its  centre,  one  of 


PHENOMENA 


39 


which  is  covered  with  vegetation  around  its  base. 
The  central  cone  is  destitute  of  everything  green, 
and  has  a black  and  burned  appearance.  This  is 
the  Bromo,  from  which  volumes  of  smoke  con- 
stantly issue  with  considerable  noise. 

After  descending  into  the  Sandy  Sea,  which 
appears  to  be  hollow  beneath,  and,  when  stepped 
on,  emits  a sound  similar  to  that  which  one  might 
expect  to  hear  from  footsteps  on  the  head  of  a 
gigantic  drum,  the  base  of  the  Bromo  is  ap- 
proached with  some  apprehension.  A little 
courage,  however,  and  the  charred  sides  can  be 
climbed,  and  a look  down  into  the  boiling  crater, 
whence  the  noise  and  smoke  proceed,  be  obtained. 
As  the  cone  is  ascended  one  can  feel  the  ground 
tremble,  and  the  noise  becomes  terrific,  while  the 
smoke  and  sulphurous  odors,  forcing  their  way 
through  the  fissures,  accompanied  with  threaten- 
ing roars,  seem  to  warn  the  curious  investigator 
away.  From  the  brim  of  the  crater  one  can  look 
down  some  two  hvmdred  feet  on  the  boiling  mass 
filling  the  bottom  below,  which  is  about  four  hun- 
dred feet  in  diameter.  It  is  yellow  and  thick,  and 
boils  up  constantly  in  huge  bubbles,  which  rise 
like  domes  some  thirty  or  forty  feet  in  circumfer- 
ence, and  then  explode,  scattering  the  yellow  liq- 
uid in  every  direction.  This  continues  without  in- 
termission. The  venturesome  sometimes  descend 
towards  the  bottom  on  the  windward  side,  with 
the  assistance  of  a rope,  and  let  a flask  attached 


40  JAVA;  THE  PEARL  OF  THE  EAST 


to  a string  down  into  the  seething  fluid  ; when  •' 
this  is  carefully  di-awn  up  again,  and  allowed  to  j 
cool,  they  have  a souvenir  enameled  with  a vivid  • 
yellow  substance,  which  retains  its  color  and  will  ! 

not  wear  off.  To  descend  into  the  crater  of  the  j 

Bromo,  however,  is  very  dangerous.  Many  of  the  | 
natives  on  the  Teng’gers  still  retain  some  of  their  | 
ancient  Hindu  superstitions,  and  go  down  into  the 
Sandy  Sea,  spread  their  mats  on  the  sand,  kneel, 
and  worship  the  fiery  Bromo. 


CHAPTER  VI. 


KRAKATOA. 

The  bursting  of  Krakatoa,  August  26-27, 1883, 
was  one  of  the  most  gigantically  disastrous  events 
in  its  results  that  has  ever  been  recorded  in  the 
history  of  our  globe.  It  was  not  only  appalling 
in  its  immediate  neighborhood,  where  it  caused  a 
thick  and  terrible  darkness  to  obscure  the  sun, 
but  on  the  adjacent  shores  of  Java  and  Sumatra 
36,500  souls  perished  in  the  inundation  or  tidal 
wave  forced  up  on  the  coasts,  and  originated  by 
the  submarine  upheavals.  The  phenomena  of  its 
effects  are  alleged  to  have  extended  to  all  parts 
of  the  world.  The  brilliant  tints  and  glowing 
hues  seen  in  the  skies  at  sunrise  and  sunset,  in 
both  hemispheres,  during  the  following  year,  were 
imputed  to  the  eruptions  of  Krakatoa.  To  give 
to  the  world  an  intellig^ent  imderstanding^  of  the 
phenomena  scattered  broadcast  by  the  shock  of 
Krakatoa,  the  records  of  magnetic  needles,  barom- 
eters, thermometers,  and  ship  captains’  logs  were 
sought  for  all  round  the  earth,  the  laws  of  optics 
and  acoustics  tested,  the  sciences  of  astronomy 
and  meteorology  considered,  the  effects  of  light. 


42 


JAVA:  THE  PEARL  OF  THE  EAST 


shade,  and  color  applied,  the  invisible  attractions 
of  magnetism  and  the  imseen  forces  of  electricity 
conceded,  the  laws  of  hydrography  harmonized, 
and  a book  of  nearly  five  hundred  pages  was 
written  in  elucidating  and  pro^•ing  the  magnitude 
of  the  tremendous  outbreak. 

Krakatoa,  as  has  already  been  stated,  is  a small 
island  situated  in  the  middle  of  the  Straits  of 
Sunda.  Before  the  eruiition,  it  was  about  3000 
feet  high,  and  covered  with  vegetation ; its  coasts 
were  a resort  for  fishermen,  otherwise  it  was  said 
to  be  uninhabited.  It  is  an  old  offender.  Ac- 
counts are  not  wanting,  though  meagre,  of  erup- 
tions which  destroyed  its  forests  some  two  centu- 
ries ago,  and  covered  the  surrounding  seas  with 
shoals  of  floating  pumice  ; since  which  period,  till 
the  recent  outburst,  its  fires  had  slumbered  in 
peace,  and  the  repose  of  its  rocky  crests  remained 
undisturbed. 

Krakatoa  threw  out  premonitory  warnings  for 
several  months  before  engaging  in  its  late  effec- 
tive work : rumblings  were  heard  a hundred  miles 
distant,  columns  of  steam  were  projected  from  its 
summit  with  great  noise,  and  vast  quantities  of 
dust  were  expelled  and  carried  by  the  wind  be- 
yond the  coasts  of  Java  and  Sumatra.  In  a 
country,  however,  where  the  internal  machinery 
of  the  volcanoes  is  always  complaining,  and  where 
convulsions  in  nature  are  common  occurrences, 
these  preparations  received  little  serious  attention. 


KRAKATOA 


43 


So  the  commotion  on  Krakatoa  continued  without 
causing  alarm  till  near  the  26th  of  August,  when 
the  detonations  became  louder  and  more  rapid, 
and  the  showers  of  ashes  heavier  and  more  fre- 
quent, while  the  heavens  gradually  grew  black 
and  overcast.  At  last,  profound  darkness  settled 
down  upon  the  adjacent  waters,  and  enveloped 
the  surrounding  islands  at  noonday,  while  the 
agitated  waves  suddenly  piled  themselves  into 
stupendous  perpendicular  banks,  which  rolled  in 
upon  the  neighboring  coasts,  destroying  and 
sweeping  away  the  villages  and  towns,  with  all 
their  inhabitants. 

On  the  morning  of  August  26,  1883,  the  cap- 
tain of  a ship,  some  seventy-five  miles  distant, 
measured  the  columns  of  smoke  and  steam  issu- 
ing from  Krakatoa,  and  found  them  (at  that  dis- 
tance) to  be  seventeen  miles  high.  As  the  day 
wore  on,  the  reports  of  the  explosions  were  heard 
aU  over  Java,  and  on  the  surrounding  islands  as 
far  as  Macassar  and  Acheen,  about  one  thousand 
miles  away.  The  captain  of  a British  vessel  that 
was  compelled  to  cast  anchor  in  the  Straits  of 
Sunda  the  preceding  night,  about  ten  miles  from 
the  upheaving  volcano,  gave  a thrilling  account 
of  the  fearfid  experiences  on  his  ship.  Warm 
pumice-stone  rained  down  upon  the  terrified  sail- 
ors, and  the  air  was  hot  and  heavy  with  sulphur- 
ous odors,  and  thick  with  dust  and  ashes.  The 
plummets  cast  overboard  came  up  hot  from  the 


44  JAVA:  THE  PEARL  OF  THE  EAST 

bottom  of  tbe  sea,  and  columns  of  black  smoke, 
illumined  by  flashing  sheets  of  electricity,  shot 
upward  from  the  angry  mountain  and  assumed 
gigantic  proportions  in  the  weighted  air,  while  the 
concussions  followed  each  other  so  rapidly  that 
the  noise  was  a continuous  and  deafening  roar. 

The  residents  of  Batavia,  ninety-six  miles  dis- 
tant, were  kept  awake  that  night  by  the  thunder- 
ous cannonading  from  the  volcano,  the  rattling  of 
their  windows,  and  the  breaking  of  glass.  The 
vibrations  of  the  air  and  the  tremblings  of  the 
earth  knocked  down  some  of  the  stone  pillars 
that  supported  their  verandas.  The  next  morning 
(Monda}'),  four  explosions,  more  violent  and  ter- 
rific than  had  yet  been  heard,  succeeded  each 
other,  with  ejections  of  vast  quantities  of  dust  and 
ashes  from  the  mountain,  which  reached  Batavia, 
and  spread  a mantle  of  gray  over  the  streets,  pro- 
ducing darkness  tUl  three  o’clock  in  the  after- 
noon, when  the  tremendous  detonations  gradually 
became  lighter,  ceasing  altogether  at  two  o’clock 
on  Tuesday  morning. 

The  gigantic  tidal  wave  extended  to  Bata^^a, 
submerging  the  streets  in  the  low  part  of  the 
city,  near  the  coast,  and  backing  up  the  rivers  for 
some  distance.  When  all  w'as  over,  it  was  dis- 
covered that  one  half  of  Krakatoa  had  disap- 
peared ; the  surrounding  coasts  were  completely 
devastated,  and  the  destruction  of  human  life, 
property,  and  cattle  was  enormous.  Vessels  had 


KRAKATOA 


45 


been  lifted  by  the  mighty  tidal  wave,  transported 
some  three  miles  inland,  and  left,  as  the  waters 
receded,  high  and  dry  on  the  mountain  side,  where 
one  man-of-war  remains  to  this  day. 

According  to  authentic  records,  the  horrors  of 
the  bursting  of  Krakatoa,  aside  from  the  destruc- 
tion by  the  tidal  wave,  were  surpassed  by  the  com- 
bustion of  the  Papandajung,  on  Java,  in  1772,  and 
also  by  the  eruption  of  the  Tambora,  on  Soem- 
bawa,  in  1815.  We  have  no  accoimt,  however,  in 
the  history  of  the  world,  of  such  mighty  throes, 
terrific  sounds,  and  stupendous  sea  waves  as  were 
originated  by  the  late  convulsions  of  Krakatoa. 


CHAPTER  VII. 


SOIL  AND  CLIMATE. 

In  a country  like  J ava,  so  amply  provided  with 
rivers,  mountains,  and  volcanoes,  the  mineralogist 
might  reasonably  expect  to  find  rich  deposits  in 
metals,  minerals,  and  precious  stones.  With  the 
exception  of  coal,  this  has  not  been  the  experience 
of  the  ambitious  prospector  in  Java.  In  vain  has 
he  penetrated  the  rugged  seams  and  flinty  chasms 
that  scar  the  mountain  side,  searched  the  deep 
caverns  and  gaping  crevices  that  appear  to  speak 
of  hidden  wealth,  and  dredged  the  beds  of  the 
yellow  rivers,  forever  washing  down  the  crum- 
bling rock  and  soft  earth  from  the  promising 
heights  above.  Neither  gold,  nor  silver,  nor  rare 
crystals,  to  any  appreciable  extent,  have  ever  been 
found,  nor  mineral  deposits,  except  coal,  dis- 
covered, that  seem  to  warrant  the  expense  of 
organized  excavation  for  the  sake  of  profit. 
The  wonderfid  fertility  of  the  soil  may  afford 
compensation  for  the  deficiency  of  Java  in  this 
direction.  Her  preeminent  growths  and  rapid- 
ity of  production  may  perhaps  be  regarded  as 
nature’s  requital  for  treasures  wanting  in  less 
bulky  form. 


SOIL  AND  CLIMATE 


47- 


That  everything  will  grow  on  this  beautiful  isl- 
and is  considered  an  established  truth.  A seed, 
slip,  or  branch,  dropped  carelessly  on  the  ground, 
will  take  root,  and  soon  shoot  into  flower  or  fruit. 
The  fructifying  black  loam,  resembling  rich  gar- 
den mould,  only  waits  the  opportunity  of  showing 
its  power  to  renew  and  increase.  It  is  well 
known  that  the  rich  products  of  Java  are  distrib- 
uted in  aU  the  markets  of  the  world.  Her  cof- 
fees, sugars,  and  spices  float  on  every  sea,  and 
neither  their  superior  quality  nor  their  abundance 
can  be  disputed. 

The  unexampled  prodigality  of  nature  in  Java, 
in  which  we  include  the  productiveness  of  the  soil, 
deprives  the  native  of  an  incentive  to  industry, 
by  relieving  him  of  the  necessity  of  exertion  to 
assure  himself  of  a future  subsistence,  and  has 
perhaps  more  to  do  with  his  natural  indolence 
than  the  climate  to  which  it  is  imputed.  He 
leaves  to  the  generous  soil  and  perpetual  warmth 
the  drudgery  that  falls  to  the  lot  of  the  success- 
ful husbandman  in  less  favored  climes,  knowing, 
from  his  own  experience  and  the  records  of  ages 
that  have  gone  before  him,  that  he  will  not  be 
disappointed.  His  seed  once  cast  upon  the  soil, 
he  looks  confidently  forward  to  teeming  planta- 
tions, reckoning  without  fail  the  product  of  his 
paddy  fields,  the  juice  from  his  sugar-canes,  and 
the  coffees  and  spices  from  his  shrubbery. 

From  April  to  October  he  revels  in  perpetual 


48 


JAVA:  THE  PEARL  OF  THE  EAST 


sunshine,  with  occasional  light  showers,  which  re- 
fresh and  invigorate  his  fields  and  insure  him 
abundant  crops.  From  October  to  April,  when 
the  gates  of  heaven  open  and  seem  to  let  down 
avalanches  of  water,  vegetation  runs  wild,  and  if 
he  then  labors  in  the  field  it  is  to  keep  down  the 
rampant  growths.  During  this  period  (the  rainy 
season),  the  sim  shines  always  during  a portion 
of  the  day,  generally  in  the  morning ; and  this, 
with  the  porous  nature  of  the  soil,  prevents  the 
fields  from  becoming  pools  of  mud,  preserves  the 
roads  in  good  condition  for  travel,  and  keeps  the 
villages  and  plantations  on  the  plains  from  being 
submerged.  The  otherwise  excessive  heat  at  this 
season  of  the  year  is  modified  by  the  daily  doum- 
pour,  which,  with  the  cooling  showers  in  the  dry 
monsoon,  and  the  alternate  land  and  sea  breezes 
which  succeed  each  other  with  unfailing  regiilar- 
ity,  renders  life  comfortable  the  year  round. 

The  sea  breeze  sets  in  about  eleven  o’clock  in 
the  morning,  gently  increasing  tUl  late  in  the  af- 
ternoon, when  it  dies  away,  and  a perfect  calm 
succeeds,  which  lasts  till  nearly  midnight,  w'hen 
the  land  breeze  gradually  comes  on,  and  continues 
tiU  about  eight  o’clock  the  next  morning,  to  be  re- 
placed by  the  repose  of  the  night  before,  which  is 
again  succeeded  by  the  sea  breeze  at  its  appointed 
hour.  This  perpetual  exchange  of  cool  and  fra- 
grant air  from  the  mountains,  with  refreshing 
draughts  impregnated  with  salty  moisture  from 


SOIL  AND  CLIMATE 


49 


the  sea,  promotes  health  and  relieves  the  intense 
heat. 

Violent  winds,  hurricanes,  or  storms  partaking 
of  that  character,  are  unknown  in  Java.  In  the 
vicinity  of  the  mountain  tops,  however,  rains  at- 
tended with  terrific  peals  of  thunder  and  blinding 
bursts  of  lightning  are  frequent,  and  are  sometimes 
accompanied  with  light  tremors  of  the  earth,  pro- 
ceeding from  some  internal  disturbance  of  the 
nearest  volcano,  which  goes  for  nothing  unless  it 
increases  till  the  chandeliers  begin  to  swing,  when 
the  inhabitants  immediately  rush  out  of  their 
dwellings,  fearing  the  latter  may  be  demolished  by 
a sudden  tilt  or  see-saw  of  the  ground  beneath. 

It  is  alleged  that  there  are  few  countries  more 
salubrious  than  Java.  For  those  who  avoid  ex- 
cess in  eating  and  drinking,  and  refrain  from 
exposure  after  sunset  to  the  noxious  exhalations 
from  the  salt  marshes  near  the  sea,  there  is  noth- 
ing to  fear  from  climate  or  seasons.  During  the 
heat  of  the  day,  the  European  is  compelled  to 
avoid  the  direct  rays  of  the  sun,  though  the  native 
trots  all  day  long  under  its  scorching  rays,  with 
his  head  protected  only  by  the  folds  of  a cotton 
handkerchief,  without  experiencing  any  deleteri- 
ous effects  whatever,  while  to  the  European  sun- 
stroke, insanity,  or  death  would  be  the  conse- 
quence. 


CHAPTER  Vm. 


VEGETATION. 

The  diversity  of  climate  in  Java  produces  a 
ricliness  and  abundance  in  tlie  vegetable  kingdom 
that  is  unequaled  in  any  other  part  of  the  world 
within  an  area  so  limited.  As  we  advance  inland 
from  the  coast,  the  temperature  changes  at  the 
rate  of  three  or  four  degrees  for  every  ten  or 
eleven  miles,  producing  six  different  climates  be- 
tween the  sea  and  the  summits  of  the  mountains, 
each  presenting  its  own  peculiar  type  of  verdure 
in  various  stages  of  development,  also  its  di- 
verse degrees  of  developed  luxuriance  ; plainly 
showing  that  every  herb,  shrub,  plant,  or  tree  that 
ever  pushed  its  head  above  ground  finds  a w'el- 
come  and  nourishing  home  on  some  part  of  the 
island. 

When  we  behold  the  profuse  variety  and  mar- 
velous exuberance  and  redundancy  of  verdure 
forcing  itself  into  the  persuasive  and  invigorat- 
ing sunshine,  we  believe  the  statement  that  no- 
where on  the  face  of  the  earth  can  we  find 
such  glowing,  drooping  beauty  in  foliage,  such 
magnitude  in  leaf  and  flower,  such  delicacy  in 
vine  and  stem,  such  diversity  and  brilliancy  in 


VEGETATION 


51 


green,  such  multiplicity  and  extension  in  shoot 
and  branch,  such  height  and  symmetry  in  trunk 
and  top,  such  variety  and  abundance  in  size  and 
species,  as  are  presented  in  the  plains  and  forests 
of  Java,  a description  of  which  would  prove  an 
endless  if  not  an  impossible  undertaking. 

Here  the  delicate  cobwebby  fern  attains  the 
proportions  of  a gigantic  tree ; the  orange,  lime, 
banana,  cocoanut,  clove,  allspice,  cinnamon,  nut- 
meg, pepper,  tea,  and  coffee  luxuriate  in  groves 
of  incomparable  beauty ; and  the  beautiful  palm 
is  divided  into  dozens  of  varieties,  of  which  the 
cocoa-palm,  the  plantain,  the  betel-palm,  the  sugar- 
palm,  the  fan-palm,  the  wax-palm,  are  the  most 
valued.  Then  we  have  the  crowded  forests  of 
teak,  the  tall  mahogany-tree,  the  sandalwood, 
rubber,  and  camphor  trees,  the  creeping  rattans, 
the  spreading  thickets  of  bamboo,  with  the  hun- 
dreds of  fancy  woods  both  rare  and  valuable,  and 
the  numberless  varieties  of  fruit-bearing  trees, 
besides  the  illimitable  species  of  vines,  vegetables, 
and  flowering  shrubs,  to  be  named  by  thousands 
and  requiring  volumes  of  description. 

The  cultivation  of  rice,  sugar,  tobacco,  cinchona, 
and  coffee  is  the  principal  agricultural  occupation, 
though  the  spice  productions  make  a most  impor- 
tant factor  in  commerce  and  furnish  a large  rev- 
enue. Of  fruits  there  is  also  a great  variety, 
many  of  them  unknown  beyond  the  archipelago, 
and  some  of  them  truly  delicious,  such  as  the 


52  JAVA:  THE  PEARL  OF  THE  EAST 


orange,  cocoanut,  banana,  durion,  rambutan,  blini- 
bing,  guava,  mango,  custard  apple,  pomplemoes, 
and  manggistan,  the  latter  usually  esteemed  the 
most  luscious  of  all.  From  fruits  we  naturally 
come  to  the  fragrant  grasses  that  sometimes  cover 
the  ground  on  which  they  fall,  and  the  lovely 
blossoms  that  brighten  the  dark  green  lustre  of 
the  foliage  that  conceals  the  branches  whereon 
they  hang,  and  bring  out  in  richer  tints  the 
yellows,  pale  greens,  glowing  browms,  bright 
purples,  reds,  and  crimsons,  pale  golden  and 
delicate  straw  colors,  by  wliich  their  juicy  ripe- 
ness is  distinguished.  The  aromatic  grasses  of 
Java  are  famous,  especially  one  species  called 
“bintara,”  which  is  much  liked  by  the  Javanese, 
and  in  great  demand  for  perfuming  their  clothes, 
couches,  and  apartments. 

It  is  impossible  for  any  one  but  an  accom- 
plished botanist  to  dilate  upon  the  brilliancy  and 
diversified  redundancy  of  the  flowers  with  even  a 
shadow  of  justice.  Some  are  so  soft  and  delicate 
in  color  and  texture  that  one  cannot  breathe  upon 
them  without  destroying  their  airy  loveliness ; 
others  are  so  gorgeous  and  gigantic  that  it  quite 
dazzles  the  vision  to  look  at  them  ; some  b^oom 
during  the  day,  some  only  at  night,  some  in  the 
morning,  others  in  the  evening,  and  many  bloom 
perpetually,  the  blossom  continually  succeeding 
the  bud,  and  the  bud  the  blossom.  Many  are 
entirely  devoid  of  pei-fume,  and  nixmbers  saturate 


VEGETATION 


53 


the  surrounding  air  with  their  delightful  fra- 
grance, and  make  their  presence  known  by  the 
delicious  odors  that  pervade  the  neighborhood. 

Those  most  prized  for  their  perfumes  bloom 
throughout  the  year,  among  which  the  double 
tuberose,  the  Arabian  jasmine,  and  those  known 
by  the  Javanese  names  of  “ nagasari,”  “ tenyong,” 
and  “ champaka,”  are  the  most  noticeable  favor- 
ites. The  Javanese  strew  these  beautiful  blossoms 
about  their  rooms,  and  over  their  beds  and  fm-- 
niture,  and  throw  them  in  the  water  stored  for 
bathing,  thus  exti’acting  their  sweetness,  and 
scenting  everything  with  their  exquisite  perfume. 

The  colors  of  these  treasures,  made  cheap  in 
Java  by  their  abundance,  are  as  varied  as  their 
size  and  habits.  The  rose-white  blossom  of  the 
Victoria  regia  here  attains  a diameter  of  two 
and  three  feet,  and  its  great  round  leaves  measure 
five  feet  across  their  centre,  with  a turned-up  brim 
of  five  inches.  The  waxy  magnolia  reaches  cor- 
respondingly gigantic  proportions,  as  do  many 
others,  like  the  oleander,  which  becomes  a tree, 
waving  its  clusters  of  pink  and  white  flowers  be- 
side the  public  highway. 


CHAPTER  IX. 


VEGETABLE  FIBRES  AND  DYES. 

The  Javanese  manufacture  several  kinds  of 
cord  and  cloth  from  various  fibrous  substances, 
which  they  call  “ loeloeb,”  obtained  from  the  inter- 
nal bark  of  several  species  of  trees,  and  from  the 
tendinous  element  in  numerous  vegetable  leaves ; 
the  leaves  especially  of  the  banana  and  pineapple 
are  valuable  for  these  purposes ; the  rope  termed 
“ coir,”  admitted  to  possess  superior  strength  and 
durability,  is  made  from  the  wiry  tissue  that  sur- 
rounds the  cocoanut,  whose  fibre  is  celebrated  for 
its  toughness  and  adaptability. 

Loeloeb  is  also  procured  from  several  species 
of  the  palm.  It  is  collected  from  trees  in  their 
wild  state,  and  prepared  by  first  beating  and 
poimding  the  original  substance,  then  separating 
it  from  the  adhering  particles,  after  wliich  it  is 
twisted  by  the  hands  into  thread,  cord,  and  rope. 
An  extremely  strong  and  thin  gossamer  fabric, 
which  is  very  pretty,  and  much  used  by  the  na- 
tives throughout  the  archipelago,  is  made  from 
the  delicate  fibre  of  the  pineapple  leaf. 

Before  the  importation  of  European  manufac- 
tures, and  even  yet  in  the  interior  districts,  the 


VEGETABLE  FIBRES  AND  DYES 


65 


Javanese  made  their  paper  from  the  paper-tree, 
which  they  cultivate.  The  bark  is  peeled  from 
the  tree  when  it  is  about  three  years  old,  cut  into 
pieces  the  size  of  the  sheets  required,  and  soaked 
in  water  till  the  outside  bark  easily  separates 
from  the  inner  fibre,  when  the  latter  is  again 
soaked,  pounded,  re-soaked,  and  beaten  with  a 
piece  of  wood,  till  it  is  soft  and  pliable,  after 
which  it  is  deposited  in  troughs  of  cold  water  and 
freed  from  all  loose  fragments.  The  pieces  are 
then  stretched  on  a smooth  surface,  the  thin 
places  covered  with  fresh  layers,  and  the  whole 
pounded  into  a consistent  thickness.  If  large 
sheets  are  desired,  the  edges  are  overlapped  and 
beaten  till  they  adhere.  The  quality  of  this 
paper  depends  upon  the  care  and  the  abundance 
of  water  used  in  its  preparation.  It  is  strong, 
soft,  and  silky  to  the  touch,  and  when  intended 
for  writing  is  made  smooth  and  glossy  by  being 
dipped  into  a thin  rice-water  liquid  and  rubbed 
till  it  attains  a polished  smoothness. 

The  long  slender  leaves  of  the  palm  and  the 
lengthened  blades  of  several  species  of  grass  and 
of  rattan  furnish  the  material  for  weaving  and 
plaiting  mats  (always  by  hand),  which  are  so  ex- 
tensively used  by  all  classes  that  they  may  be 
named  as  a necessity  of  the  country.  The  grass 
called  “ mendong  ” is  used  for  the  coarser  kind  of 
mats,  and  is  woven  into  bags  and  sacks  used  for 
transporting  coffee,  rice,  etc. 


56  JAVA:  THE  PEABL  OF  THE  EAST 

AVe  may  say  here  that  the  handsomest  mats, 
and  those  of  finest  quality,  are  made  in  the  Soera- 
baja  district.  A mat  made  in  Pesantran  is  higldy 
prized,  and  among  the  upper  classes  a couch  or 
bed,  soft  and  springy  wdth  repeated  layers  of  the 
Kloso-Pesantran,  is  deemed  an  enviable  luxury, 
the  possession  of  which  enters  largely  into  the  re- 
quirements of  a well-furnished  Javanese  house. 

The  native  hats,  resembling  in  size  and  shape 
a reversed  umbrella,  are  plaited  from  thiu,  trac- 
table slats  of  the  universally  applied  bamboo. 
Bright  and  permanent  dyes  of  varied  colors  are 
obtained  from  an  admixture  and  infusion  of  cer- 
tain kinds  of  bark  and  fruit,  and  some  from  the 
maceration  of  partieidar  roots  with  the  chaff  of 
rice.  The  beautiful  blue  and  deep  scarlet  ob- 
tained in  this  manner  never  fades  or  washes  out. 
An  exquisitely  soft  and  rich  color  is  procui-ed 
from  the  mixed  bark  of  the  marka  and  the 
mango  tree,  and  an  infusion  of  the  bark  of  the 
tangi  with  the  deep  purple  rind  of  the  manggi- 
stan  yields  a beautiful  black  dye.  A lovely  and 
durable  scarlet  is  also  obtained  by  bruising  and 
boiling  down  the  roots  of  the  wong-koedoe. 


CHAPTER  X. 


WOODS  AND  TREES. 

A GREAT  many  varieties  of  wood,  of  which  the 
teak  is  the  most  useful  and  important,  are  found 
in  Java.  Immense  tracts  in  the  central  interior 
are  covered  with  dense  forests  of  teak,  which  are 
said  to  produce  the  hardest  and  consequently  the 
most  valuable  timber.  Though  there  is  but  one 
species  of  genuine  teak,  there  are  many  varieties, 
recognized  by  the  color,  quality,  and  texture  of 
their  grain,  each  distinguished  by  a name  describ- 
ing its  special  peculiarity.  There  is  the  chalky 
teak,  its  wood  presenting  a white  streaked  appear- 
ance, resembling  concretions  of  lime  or  chalk  ; it 
is  more  abundant  and  less  valuable  than  many  of 
the  others.  Next  comes  the  scaly  teak,  so  called 
because  its  stems  are  covered  with  sharp  scales. 
Its  wood  is  hard  and  firm,  and  nearest  in  value 
to  the  true  teak,  noted  for  its  weight  and  hard, 
close  grain,  qualities  that  render  it  peculiarly 
adapted  to  shipbuilding.  Its  color  includes  sev- 
eral shades  of  brown,  sometimes  tinged  with  pur- 
ple or  black.  Then  we  have  the  kind  usually 
carved  into  the  intricate  designs  used  in  the  elab- 
oration of  handsome  articles  of  furniture.  The 


58  JAVA;  THE  PEABL  OF  THE  EAST 


Chinese  understand  the  art  of  dyeing  this  wood  a 
beautiful  shining  black,  like  ebony.  This  is  done 
after  the  hard  grain  is  converted  into  the  fanciful 
patterns  just  spoken  of,  which  frequently  deco- 
rate the  black  chah-s,  tables,  and  screens  seen  in 
the  windows  of  our  modern  shops,  bearing  every 
appearance  of  real  ebony. 

The  teak-tree,  like  aU  close-grained  woods,  is 
man}’  years  in  reaching  maturity.  A century  is 
not  old  for  teak.  In  fact,  it  is  said  to  require  that 
length  of  time  to  reach  perfection.  It  is  an  es- 
tablished rule  not  to  disturb  the  teak-tree  till 
after  it  has  flourished  at  least  for  a period  of  forty 
years.  The  tree  is  erect  and  slender,  and  soon 
attains  its  height,  but  is  a long  time  in  acquiring 
the  desired  circumference  of  trunk.  The  Dutch 
government  plant  and  cidtivate  extensive  forests 
or  plantations  of  teak,  which,  while  it  receives 
the  greatest  care  and  is  furnished  with  the  rich- 
est soil,  is  said  not  to  attain  the  hardness  and  per- 
fection of  the  wood  that  grows  on  poorer  ground, 
and  which  is  left  to  the  care  of  nature. 

There  are  in  the  forests  of  Java  a number  of 
hard  woods  beside  teak  that  will  take  a fine  pol- 
ish, many  of  which  are  sought  for  their  close 
grain  and  beautiful  colors.  The  wood  of  the 
lovely  ketangi-tree  is  finer  than  that  of  teak,  and 
is  sometimes  used  in  preference  to  the  latter ; 
when  in  bloom  the  ketaugi  is  considered  by  many 
the  most  exquisitely  beautifid  tree  in  existence. 


WOODS  AND  TREES 


59 


The  soeren  is  another  wood  which  is  very  much 
like  the  true  teak.  It  is  hard  and  close  in  tex- 
ture, yellow  in  color,  takes  an  equally  fine  polish, 
and  its  bark  furnishes  a yellow  dye.  Some  of 
these  woods  resemble  mahogany,  some  are  a deep 
brown  color,  some  a beautiful  red,  others  pure 
white,  and  some  are  white  shot  with  fine  black 
hair  stripes.  Some  are  so  hard  that  they  are  cut 
with  great  difficulty,  others  so  tough  that  they 
can  scarcely  be  split,  and  some  as  soft  and  mal- 
leable as  wax.  They  are  all  used  for  special  pur- 
poses. 

The  wood  that  is  in  greatest  demand  in  Java 
is  the  bamboo.  Deprived  of  it,  the  native  woiild 
lose  his  greatest  convenience.  It  is  light,  strong, 
durable,  and  abundant,  and  applied  to  every  im- 
aginable purpose.  Rice  and  bamboo  supply  the 
necessities  of  the  simple  Javanese.  The  latter 
costs  him  nothing,  and  the  former  only  a little 
labor.  With  bamboo  he  constructs  his  chairs, 
benches,  tables,  beds,  houses,  bridges,  and  fences : 
nearly  everything  he  uses  or  takes  hold  of  is  made 
of  bamboo,  and  its  young  shoots  furnish  him  with 
an  article  of  diet.  With  a little  plot  of  ground 
and  a bamboo  thicket,  the  poor  native  feels  him- 
self well  provided  for.  Another  useful  tree  in 
Java  is  the  soap-tree,  which  yields  a fruit  with 
which  the  natives  wash  their  clothes.  Then  there 
is  the  wax-tree,  that  supplies  them  with  an  oil 
which,  when  exposed  to  the  air,  hardens  into  the 


60  JAVA:  THE  PEARL  OF  THE  EAST 

resemblance  of  wax,  and  is  made  into  candles 
that,  when  burning,  exhale  a most  agreeable  per- 
fume ; the  cotton-tree,  which  produces  a soft, 
silky,  short-fibred  substance  that  takes  the  place 
of  feathers  in  pillows,  and  gives  equal  satisfac- 
tion ; the  tallow-tree,  and  the  bread-fruit  tree, 
which  also  supply  certain  necessities  of  the  native 
without  so  much  as  a thought  bestowed  by  him. 

After  the  Javanese  has  put  together  the  frame 
of  his  dwelling  and  hung  up  his  walls  of  light 
plaited  bamboo,  he  puts  on  a roof  of  thatch,  called 
“ attap,”  which  is  generally  made  of  the  long  fo- 
lioles  of  the  sago  or  nipa  palm.  These  slender, 
sword-like  leaves  are  doubled  upon  each  other 
over  long  sticks,  which  are  laid  on  the  supports 
and  overlap  like  shingles  on  a roof.  Sometimes 
the  bamboo  leaves  serve  the  same  purpose.  Added 
to  these  trees,  which  so  readily  supply  the  wants 
of  the  people,  are  others,  such  as  the  kasamok,  the 
bark  of  which  gives  a light,  impervious  varnish 
used  on  their  paper  umbrellas,  and  the  sampong, 
that  yields  a resin  containing  a strong  and  shiny 
varnish,  especially  desirable  for  such  articles  as 
the  sheaths  of  krises.  We  have  already  named 
the  trees  bearing  the  principal  fruits  and  spices, 
nor  must  we  omit  mention  of  the  spreading  wa^ 
ringin,  ,one  of  which  must  be  kept  growing  in 
front  of  every  Javanese  noble’s  house,  to  indicate 
nobility,  and  which  if  permitted  will  let  down  its 
roots  and  become  the  far-reaching  banyan,  mul- 


WOODS  AND  TREES  61 

tiplying  upon  itself  until  an  extended  grove  is 
formed. 

But  among  the  many  remarkable  trees  of  Java 
none  has  gathered  to  itself  the  interesting  ro- 
mance that  attaches  to  the  pohon  upas,  or  cele- 
brated poison-tree,  fabled  to  spread  death  over  a 
circumference  extending  for  miles  around  it.  It 
has  been  cormnonly  rejiorted  that  neither  animal 
nor  vegetable  life  could  exist  in  the  vicinity 
of  the  upas,  all  of  which  is  now  regarded  as  a 
romantic  fiction.  It  is  well  known,  however,  that 
there  is  a tree  in  Java,  containing  a sap  of  a 
milky  appearance,  which,  when  taken  into  the 
stomach  or  injected  into  the  blood,  acts  as  an  im- 
mediate and  deadly  poison ; but  it  grows  in  the 
forests,  and  has  no  deleterious  effects  whatever  on 
the  surrounding  shrubbery,  not  even  on  the  leaves 
and  vines  which  in  some  instances  cling  to  its 
trunk  and  branches.  An  ancient  tradition  exists 
among  the  natives  in  regard  to  the  supposed  poi- 
sonous vicinity  encircling  the  upas-tree,  which  is 
recorded  as  follows  : — 

“ Some  two  hundred  years  ago,  the  country 
surrounding  the  upas-tree  was  inhabited  by  a 
people  so  wicked  that  the  prophet  Mohammed 
applied  to  God  to  punish  them,  and  God  caused 
the  upas-tree  to  grow  out  of  the  earth,  which  de- 
stroyed them,  and  rendered  the  country  ever  after 
uninhabitable.  But  one  must  observe,”  continues 
the  recorder,  “ that  all  Malayans  consider  the 


62  JAVAf  THE  PEARL  OF  THE  EAST 

tree  as  a holy  instrument  of  the  great  God  to 
jn;nish  the  sins  of  mankind,  and  therefore  to  die 
from  the  poison  of  the  upas  is  generally  consid- 
ered an  honorable  death,” 

The  valley  of  poison,  called  the  Guwa  Upas, 
in  the  centre  of  which  the  poison  tree  was  for- 
merly supposed  to  grow,  is  now  known  to  be 
nothing  more  nor  less  than  the  porous  bottom  of 
an  extinct  crater,  which  still  emits  large  quanti- 
ties of  carbonic  gas,  destructive  to  both  animal 
and  vegetable  life,  and  there  is  actually  no  tree 
or  herbage  of  any  kind  growing  on  its  bleak  and 
sandy  surface.  It  is  an  oblong  plain,  in  the 
Dieng  Mountains,  perhaps  twenty  miles  in  length 
and  eight  to  ten  in  width,  surrounded  by  a chain 
of  green  hills.  The  poisonous  gas  or  vapor  con- 
stantly forced  up  through  the  porous  sand,  and 
retained  in  the  stagnant  atmosphere  above  by  the 
combined  influence  of  the  encircling  hills  and  ab- 
sence of  winds,  is  fatal  to  everything  that  depends 
upon  pure  and  healthy  air  for  existence.  Ani- 
mals naturally  come  down  the  hills  and  try  to 
cross  this  plain,  where  they  quickly  suffocate  and 
die.  Birds  also  attempt  to  fly  over  it  from  the 
neighboring  mountains,  but  soon  drop  upon  its 
sandy  waste,  which  is  covered  with  scattered 
spots  of  bleaching  bones  and  other  reminiscences 
of  its  deadly  character.^ 

1 A fuller  description  of  the  Guwa  Upas  is  g^ven  by  the  au- 
thor in  A Princess  of  Java,  pp.  152,  153 


CHAPTER  XI. 


USEFUL  ANIMALS. 

The  Javanese  buffalo  is,  next  to  the  native 
pony,  the  most  useful  animal  on  the  island.  It 
is  generally  employed  for  agricultural  purposes 
throughout  Java,  and  its  flesh,  in  the  majority  of 
instances,  takes  the  place  of  beef.  The  ox  is 
used  occasionally  for  ploughing,  but  the  buffalo 
is  preferred  for  its  strength,  docility  of  disposi- 
tion, and  long  endurance,  although  it  is  incapa- 
ble of  supporting  the  heats  of  midday,  for  which 
reason  both  it  and  its  master  take  that  period 
for  resting  in  the  shade.  The  buffalo  is  a dingy 
light  mouse  color.  Sometimes  a black  or  brown 
buffalo  is  seen,  but  the  mouse-colored  is  the  larg- 
est and  considered  the  best  animal.  It  is  not  as 
large  as  the  American  buffalo ; in  truth,  bears  lit- 
tle resemblance,  either  in  character  or  appearance, 
to  the  fierce  bovine  quadruped  knowm  by  the  same 
name  on  our  Western  plains.  The  head  is  smaller, 
the  horns  are  longer  and  spread  far  apart,  and 
they  carry  a considerable  elevation  of  flesh  be- 
tween the  shoulders.  In  Java,  this  latter  orna- 
ment is  not  confined  to  the  buffalo,  but  appears  in 
the  form  of  a disfiguring  hump  on  the  shoulders 


64  JAVA:  THE  PEAEL  OF  THE  EAST 

of  the  J avan  ox  and  milch  cow,  neither  of  which 
is  a very  handsome  animal.  The  cow,  like  the  ox 
and  buffalo,  is  small,  and  is  used  in  some  parts  of 
Java  for  ploughing.  It  is  milked  once  a day, 
yielding  about  one  quart  of  milk. 

Camels  and  elephants,  used  so  extensively  in 
British  India,  are  unknown  in  Java ; neither  is 
there  such  an  animal  as  a donkey  or  mule.  The 
Java  horses,  a small  breed  of  ponies,  hardy,  snift, 
and  compact  in  build,  meet  the  demands  of  the 
country,  traveling  in  the  mountain  districts  as 
pack-horses,  in  long  strings,  one  behind  the  other, 
loaded  with  coffees  and  spices  for  the  coast.  In 
the  more  level  localities,  buffaloes  are  used  in  two- 
wheeled carts  for  the  same  purpose. 

The  finest  horses  are  brought  from  Macassar 
and  the  islands  of  Sumatra  and  Sandalwood 
(Soemba).  Each  variety  is  a favorite,  and, 
except  in  size,  might  be  taken  for  the  blooded 
Arab.  The  horses  from  Sandalwood  are  from 
thirteen  to  fifteen  hands  high,  and  are  the  largest 
and  the  most  beautiful  of  any  on  the  Sunda 
Islands.  They  have  fine  heads,  large,  lively  eyes, 
thin  nostrils,  muscular  necks  well  covered  with 
short,  heavy  manes,  straight  backs,  neat,  slender 
limbs,  and  long,  flovdng  tails.  They  are  re- 
garded as  trusty,  sm-e-footed,  and  able  to  endure 
exposure ; and  are  light,  strong,  swift,  and  vigor- 
ous, displaying  much  boldness  and  ambition  in 
getting  rapidly  over  the  ground.  In  character  they 


USEFUL  ANIMALS 


65 


are  tractable,  affectionate,  and  intelligent.  Their 
color  is  usually  bay  or  dark  roan,  and  sometimes 
what  is  termed  piebald. 

The  Macassar  horses  are  smaller  than  the  San- 
dalwood animals,  but  equally  well  shaped,  have 
large,  soft  eyes  and  less  fiery  temper,  and  are 
preferred  by  many  for  this  latter  quality. 

In  what  is  called  the  Preanger  district,  in  the 
interior  of  Java,  horses  of  a fine  breed,  larger 
than  either  the  Macassar  or  Sandalwood,  are 
owned  by  the  native  regents.  What  is  known  as 
the  Java  horse  has  greatly  degenerated.  In 
1887-88,  the  Dutch  government  made  an  effort  to 
improve  the  race  by  importing,  at  state  expense, 
the  Macassar  and  Sandalwood  horse  into  the  Pre- 
anger district. 

In  view  of  the  enormous  population  of  22,000,- 
000  of  human  beings  in  Java,  the  number  of 
horses,  alleged  to  be  600,000  on  the  whole  island, 
is  extremely  small.  To  the  European,  enervated 
by  the  languor  of  the  climate,  and  unable  to 
endure  exposure  to  the  rain  or  sun,  horses  and 
carriages  are  an  absolute  necessity ; but  to  the 
native  they  are  an  unnecessary  burden,  unless 
he  be  a rich  noble,  willing  and  able  to  swell  his 
grandeur  by  their  possession.  The  easy  condi- 
tions of  life  for  the  common  Javanese,  where  the 
abundant  bamboo  supplies  him  with  a house  for 
twenty-five  florins,  and,  if  he  can  do  no  better,  a 
tiker  mat  laid  upon  the  soft,  warm  earth  offers 


66  JAVA:  THE  PEARL  OF  THE  EAST 

him  a comfortable  bed,  and  the  prolific  paddi- 
fields  afford  him  excellent  food,  render  a horse 
a needless  and  expensive  luxury.  He  trots  his 
twenty-five  miles  a day  on  unshod  feet,  indiffer- 
ent to  fatigue,  and,  if  he  owns  a docile  buffalo  to 
drag  his  cart  and  plough  his  jjaddock,  he  pos- 
sesses all  the  aid  required. 

There  is  no  scarcity  on  the  island  of  such 
domestic  animals  as  swine,  goats,  and  cows. 
There  are  also  a few  sheep.  They  are  all  much 
below  the  ordinary  size,  and  the  wool  of  the  sheep 
is  coarse,  and  considered  hardly  worth  the  shear- 


CHAPTER  Xn. 


WILD  ANIMALS  AND  GAME. 

In  the  vast  forests,  extended  plains,  high  moun- 
tains, immense  jungles,  swamps,  and  numerous 
streams  of  Java,  the  sportsman  wiU  find  a great 
diversity  and  abundance  of  game,  the  largest  and 
most  dangerous  of  which  are  wild  bulls,  stags, 
roebucks,  wild  boars,  tigers,  panthers,  rhinoce- 
roses, and  crocodiles.  Large  birds  are  repre- 
sented by  the  peacock,  pelican,  and  flying-fox. 
The  smaller  game  includes  the  wild  dog,  tiger-cat, 
a diminutive  deer  called  “ kantjil,”  the  otter,  hare, 
flying-squirrel,  porcupine,  woodcock,  jungle-fowl, 
teal,  quail,  and  a multifold  variety  of  pigeons, 
partridges,  rails,  water-birds,  grebes,  snipe,  wild 
ducks,  grallae,  parrots,  paroquets,  larks,  thrush, 
and  myriads  of  smaller  species  quite  impossible 
to  name. 

There  are  two  species  of  wild  boar,  inhabiting 
the  plains,  forests,  and  jungles  that  are  not  above 
an  altitude  of  7000  feet.  They  sally  forth  at 
night  in  droves  to  attack  the  plantations,  where 
they  make  desperate  havoc  in  the  rich  feeding- 
grounds.  The  royal  tiger,  the  most  formidable 
antagonist  of  the  hunter  and  his  dogs,  renders 


68  .y.lT’-l;  THE  PEABL  OF  THE  EAST 

important  ser\’ice  in  preventing  the  increase  of 
the  wild  boar,  stag,  and  roebuck,  which  do  much 
damage  to  agriculture,  and  whose  nocturnal  ‘vdsits 
are  greatly  dreaded  by  the  careful  planter. 

The  tiger  delights  in  bamboo  thickets.  Here, 
or  in  the  mountain  jungles  and  isolated  recesses 
of  the  vast  plains,  he  conceals  himself  during  the 
day,  coming  out  under  cover  of  the  darkness  to 
procure  something  to  eat.  It  is  said  that  he  pre- 
fers hiunan  flesh,  and  when  he  has  once  tasted  its 
dainty  flavor  he  is  ever  after  ferociously  anxious 
to  repeat  the  experience.  He  is-  solitary  and  un- 
social in  his  habits,  always  going  alone,  and  is  not 
partial  to  the  smooth  and  unobstructed  forest 
floor,  which  deprives  him  of  the  stealthy  seclu- 
sion where  he  loves  to  crouch,  and  spring  una- 
wares upon  his  luckless  Hctim.  To  extirpate  this 
dangerous  beast  the  government  pays  the  native 
t«’o  himdred  florins  for  every  tiger  he  destroys, 
or  for  every  pair  of  tiger’s  ears  he  can  secure.  A 
smaller  sum  is  paid  for  a panther. 

The  modern  Javanese  are  all  Mohammedans, 
but  still  nourish  many  of  the  ancient  Hindu  super- 
stitions, and  believe,  according  to  the  law  of  me- 
tempsychosis, that  the  tigers,  panthers,  and  croco- 
diles that  attack  them  are  the  reincarnated  spirits 
of  their  enemies.  Sometimes,  instead  of  trying  to 
destroy  a crocodile,  they  will  attempt  to  conciliate 
the  malignant  spirit,  by  placing  rice  on  the  edge 
of  the  streams  which  the  reptile  frequents,  to 


WILD  ANIMALS  AND  GAME 


69 


make  it  easy  and  convenient  for  him  to  satisfy 
his  appetite.  The  native  that  destroys  a croco- 
dile six  feet  m length  receives  from  the  govern- 
ment twenty-five  florins,  and  less  for  a shorter  one. 
Ten  florins  is  also  paid  for  a crocodile  egg. 

Like  the  tiger,  the  stag  and  the  roebuck  gen- 
erally go  alone.  They  frequent  the  wastes  and 
plains  covered  with  tall  grass  and  rich  herbage. 
The  wild  bull  dwells  on  the  elevated  mountain 
sides,  and  frequently  descends  to  the*  borders  of 
the  sea  in  search  of  salt.  He  is  wary  and  fero- 
cious, avoiding  the  approach  of  man.  He  is 
endowed  with  wonderfidly  keen  olfactory  nerves, 
and  scents  the  approach  of  an  enemy  at  an  incred- 
ibly long  distance.  He  is  more  alert  and  nimble- 
footed than  the  rhinoceros,  and  when  wounded 
much  more  to  be  dreaded.  The  female  is  smaller 
and  more  active  than  the  male,  beside  being  ag- 
gressive and  wicked.  She  is  red  in  color,  and 
not  as  large  as  the  ordinary  milch  cow,  while  the 
male  is  generally  brown  or  black.  The  wild  bulls 
march  in  companies  of  from  six  to  twenty,  an  old 
and  experienced  leader  going  before  the  herd,  to 
warn  away  the  wild  dogs,  panthers,  and  tigers 
that  may  threaten  attack. 

The  rhinoceros  roams  through  the  forests  and 
jungles  on  the  highest  mountains,  often  descend- 
ing to  the  salt  swamps  and  flats  skirting  the  sea 
for  salt  water.  He  is  generally  unaccompanied, 
is  unsocial  and  fierce,  but  flies  from  man ; when 


70  JAVA;  THE  PEABL  OF  THE  EAST 

wounded  or  a female  with  a calf,  the  rhinoceros 
is  dangerous  and  hard  to  kill.  Sometimes  seven 
or  eight  assemble  and  visit  a colfee  or  cinchona 
plantation,  where  they  commit  serious  depreda- 
tions by  eating  the  tender  shoots  and  uprooting 
the  young  trees.  The  carcass  of  the  rhinoceros 
is  prized  by  the  natives,  especially  by  the  Javan 
Chinese,  who  use  even  the  skin  in  preparations  of 
food.  The  hide  resembles  that  of  the  hippopota- 
mus. The  rhinoceros  of  Java  has  but  one  horn, 
and  this  is  highly  valued  by  the  natives,  who 
believe  it  will  extract  the  poison,  if  applied  to  the 
bite  of  a serpent  or  scorpion.  They  claim  that  it 
will  adhere  to  the  wound  till  it  absorbs  all  the 
venom,  and  that  one  piece  can  be  used  several 
times.  It  is  also  very  desirable  for  the  handles 
of  knives  and  krises.  One  fine  horn  sells  for 
from  forty  to  one  hundred  and  fifty  florins. 

The  panther  is  more  addicted  to  the  forest  than 
the  tiger,  and,  instead  of  concealing  himself  in  a 
jungle  thicket,  prefers  to  lie  bidden  by  the  green 
leaves  on  the  branches  of  the  trees,  whence  he 
can  suddenly  drop  down  on  his  prey.  The  leop- 
ard is  also  an  inhabitant  of  Java.  It  resembles' 
the  panther  in  its  habits  and  haunts,  and  is  easily 
distinguished  from  the  latter  by  its  velvety  black 
spots  on  a light  yellow  ground. 

The  crocodile  lives  in  the  water,  and  infests  the 
banks  of  rivers,  the  borders  of  swamps  and  low 
watery  regions,  and  the  sea-coasts  near  the  mouths 


WILD  AS’niALS  AND  GAME 


71 


of  rivers.  These  creatures  are  from  twenty  to 
thirty  feet  in  length,  and  are  always  ravenous 
and  dangerous.  The  Chinese  in  Java  consider 
the  fat  of  the  crocodile  a most  efficient  remedy,  if 
applied  externally,  in  cases  of  rheumatism.  Its 
hide  is  very  hard,  and  not  infrequently  it  remains 
a long  time  on  the  spot  where  it  has  been  struck 
by  the  ball  of  the  hunter.  When  wounded  in  a 
vital  part,  such  as  the  head,  heart,  or  spine,  it 
plunges  into  the  water  instantly,  and  dies  in 
about  two  hours.  It  reigns  supreme  over  the 
smaller  denizens  of  the  deep. 

Tlie  wild  dog  inhabits  the  forests,  jungles,  and 
localities  covered  with  tall  gTass  and  low  bushes, 
roaming  from  the  edges  of  the  sea  to  the  summits 
of  the  highest  mountains.  Wild  dogs  are  gener- 
ally seen  in  large  troops,  and  will  attack  horses, 
deer,  or  sheep,  but  fly  from  the  more  savage  and 
ferocious  animals.  Their  fine  sense  of  smell  ren- 
ders it  almost  impossible  for  the  hunter  to  gain  a 
near  approach.  Gangs  of  wolves  are  numerous, 
and  scour  the  mountains  and  plains  in  pursuit  of 
the  wild  boar. 

The  tiger-cat  dwells  in  the  same  localities  as 
the  panther,  hiding  in  the  branches  of  the  trees, 
and  seldom  falls  when  shot  by  the  sportsman.  It 
lives  on  small  birds  and  small  animals.  The 
hamits  of  the  civet  are  similar  to  those  of  the 
tiger-cat,  but  it  is  not  carnivorous,  like  the  latter, 
and  feeds  on  fruits,  such  as  bananas,  pineapples. 


72  JAVA:  THE  PEAEL  OF  THE  EAST 

etc.  It  is  sought  by  the  natives  for  a musk  which 
it  furnishes,  and  which  they  mix  with  their  cigar- 
ette tobacco.  The  odor  of  this  perfume  is  very 
strong  and  agreeable.  The  wild-cat  is  found  in 
the  forests  and  jungles,  like  its  cousin  the  tiger- 
cat,  though  more  frequently  seen  on  the  plains 
covered  with  high  grass  and  low  shrubbery.  It 
is  not  confined,  however,  to  any  particular  local- 
ity either  in  plain,  mountain,  or  forest.  It  is  sim- 
ilar to  the  jackal  in  color  and  conformation,  and 
is  shy  and  cautious,  rarely  ever  allowing  itself  to 
be  caught  or  shot  by  the  sportsman.  After  de- 
strojdng  nearly  all  the  small  game  in  one  locality, 
the  wild- cat  suddenly  disappears,  to  turn  up  unex- 
pectedly in  a new  quarter,  and  begin  again  the 
work  of  destruction. 

The  otter  inhabit  swamps  and  the  streams  that 
descend  from  the  mountains.  They  are  gifted 
with  discerning  instincts,  concealing  themselves 
during  the  day  in  holes  and  thickets  in  great 
numbers,  and  are  seldom  to  be  caught.  The  lit- 
tle animals  the  natives  call  “ kantjil,”  resembling 
tiny  roebucks  about  fourteen  or  eighteen  inches 
high,  wth  brilliant  eyes,  live  in  grassy  and  bushy 
districts,  and  bound  swftly  over  the  ground  in  a 
zigzag  course.  They  are  sought  for,  like  the 
civet,  for  the  musk  they  produce,  which  is  the 
same  as  that  furnished  by  their  kind  on  the  high 
mountains  of  Thibet.  The  porcu2)ine  is  found 
on  the  level  grounds,  hiding  about  the  hedges 


WILD  ANIMALS  AND  GAME 


73 


that  inclose  the  plantations,  and  comes  out  to  feed 
’during  the  night.  The  hare,  very  small  and  harm- 
less, is  attracted  to  the  same  places,  but  runs  about 
the  gardens  at  all  hours. 

The  ichneumon  is  a little  animal  that  darts 
about  over  ground  well  covered  with  herbage,  and 
lives  by  sucking  the  blood  of  rats,  mice,  chickens, 
and  ducks,  also  eating  eggs  and  insects.  It  is  the 
avowed  enemy  of  snakes  of  all  sizes  and  species. 
At  the  sight  of  a serpent  its  eyes  will  blaze  like 
coals  of  fire,  and  it  attacks  the  reptile  with  the 
most  vehement  ardor  and  seemingly  concentrated 
spite,  dexterously  renewing  the  combat  until  it 
conquers,  which  it  does  generally.  When  bit- 
ten, it  desists  a moment  to  run  into  a neighboring 
thicket  for  what  is  supposed  to  be  an  antidote, 
and  returns  to  continue  the  attack  with  increased 
vigor. 

The  flying-squirrel  and  the  flying-cat  dwell  in 
the  forest,  hiding  among  the  leaves  during  the 
day,  to  fly  or  jump  from  tree  to  tree  at  night. 
The  former  is  sought  for  its  fur,  and  the  latter 
is  studiously  avoided  by  the  superstitious  native, 
who  accredits  it  with  possessing  strange  and  fatal 
powers  of  fascination. 

There  is  another  busy  animal  that  makes  itself 
very  conspicuous  in  Java,  which  cannot  be  teimied 
game,  neither  can  it  be  termed  useful,  domestic, 
nor  wild.  That  is  the  monkey.  Three  colonies 
of  these  half-human  creatures  live  on  the  island. 


74  JAVA:  THE  PEARL  OF  THE  EAST 


two  of  which  occupy  the  ends  and  one  the  centre. 
They  never  associate  or  intermarry,  each  keeping* 
to  its  own  tribe  and  its  own  dominions,  and  re- 
taining its  own  distinctive  features.  One  colony 
comprises  the  little  blue  species ; another,  the 
large  yellow  monkey,  with  white  face  and  curled 
tail ; the  third  presents  the  big  black  monkey, 
with  prehensile  tail,  by  w^hich  he  swings  himself 
in  sportive  moments  from  the  limbs  of  the  trees. 
Their  numbers  cannot  be  computed : in  some  of 
the  forests  they  seem  fairly  to  cover  the  branches 
of  the  trees,  chattering  incessantly.  They  are 
very  mischievous,  and  there  have  been  several  in- 
stances where  hunters,  coming  across  a pool  of 
water,  and  undressing  to  bathe,  came  out  of  the 
pool  to  see  the  monkeys  scampering  off  with  their 
clothes.  When  brought  into  a house  or  a village, 
the  thieving  propensity  of  the  monkey  increases, 
and  unless  it  is  secured  to  one  spot  the  small  ar- 
ticles in  the  rooms  are  carried  off.  The  habits  of 
these  creatures  are  amusing,  particularly  in  the 
management  of  their  young.  The  mother  will 
take  the  baby  to  the  stream,  walk  into  the  shal- 
low edge,  bathe  it,  and  correct  it  for  disobedience  ; 
compelling  it  to  stand  up  or  be  dipped  under, 
rubbed  or  rinsed,  according  to  her  will.  The  na- 
tives consider  it  a sure  omen  of  impending  calam- 
ity to  shoot  a monkey. 


CHAPTER  XIII. 


FEATHERED  GAME. 

The  peacock  and  the  pelican  are  the  largest 
birds  in  Java.  The  former  inhabits  the  groves 
and  forests,  and  passes  the  night  sitting  in  the 
branches  of  the  highest  trees..  Peacocks  are  gen- 
erally found  in  flocks,  and  leave  their  lodgings  at 
the  first  peep  of  dawn  to  go  in  search  of  grain, 
herbs,,  paddy,  and  insects  for  food.  The  early 
mornings  and  evenings  they  devote  to  procuring 
a livelihood,  preferring  to  avoid  observation  by 
remaining  in  the  depths  of  the  forest  during  the 
day,  — a custom  peculiar  to  the  birds  and  animals 
of  the  tropics.  Sometimes  these  gorgeous  birds 
are  seen  under  a brilliant  moon,  when  the  splendor 
of  their  colors  confers  upon  them  a mysterious 
and  imposing  grandeur.  Of  all  birds,  excepting 
the  bird  of  paradise,  the  peacock  is  certainly  the 
most  magnificent.  Where  there  is  so  much  beauty 
one  might  expect  to  find  some  melody  of  voice,  but 
the  harsh  cry  of  the  peacock,  always  heard  in  the 
morning  before  sunrise,  dissipates  all  such  fan- 
cies in  connection  with  its  rich  coloring.  It  is  ex- 
tremely shy,  and  gets  away  as  fast  as  possible 
from  everything  new  or  strange,  but  flies  heavily 


76  JAVA:  THE  PEARL  OF  THE  EAST 


imless  there  is  a strong  wind  to  assist  its  at- 
tempts. The  mountain  forests  and  wooded  dis- 
tricts along  the  sea-coasts  are  its  favorite  places 
of  abode. 

The  pelican  is  found  in  the  low,  swampy  flats 
and  along  the  borders  of  the  seas,  where  it  spends 
its  time  in  standing  on  one  leg,  in  deep  medita- 
tion, or  in  Ashing  with  its  long  bill  in  the  shallow 
water.  It  is  a gloomy,  unsocial  bird,  neither 
pleasant  to  look  at  nor  good  for  food. 

The  flying-fox,  a species  of  bat,  is  the  next 
largest  flying  animal,  and  by  far  the  most  inter- 
esting. When  dawn  appears  these  strange  crea^ 
tures  seek  the  darkest  recesses  of  the  forest,  where 
they  hang  from  the  trees  by  their  feet  in  silent  and 
motionless  black  masses  till  darkness  approaches, 
when  they  awake,  and  come  forth  to  sail  around 
above  the  trees  in  the  moonlight,  and  to  feed  on 
the  tender  sprouts  and  fruit  of  the  palm  groves. 

Among  the  large  feathered  game,  the  heron, 
the  stork,  the  falcon,  and  the  marabout  take  an 
important  place.  The  first  two  frequent  the 
mountain  forests  bordering  on  the  sea,  but  not 
above  an  elevation  of  three  or  four  thousand  feet. 
They  fly  much  higher,  however,  making  a noise 
with  their  wings  like  the  puffs  of  slowl}’  escaping 
steam. 

The  wild  cock,  though  not  magnificent  like  the 
peacock,  is  a very  handsome  bird.  It  has  a beauti- 
ful red  comb,  red  and  brown  plumage,  with  blue- 


FEATHERED  GAME 


77 


black  wings.  It  inhabits  the  jungles  and  thickets, 
and  its  capture  is  exceedingly  difficult.  Pigeons 
of  many  species  and  brilliant  colors,  especially 
the  numerous  green  varieties,  abound  in  the  for- 
ests and  jungles,  and  vie  in  prodigious  numbers 
with  green  and  red  paroquets  ; both  ambling  all 
day  long  like  swarms  of  insects  over  the  forest 
trees  and  jungle  vines,  making  the  woods  ring 
with  their  incessant  coo-o-o-o.  Myriads  of  par- 
tridges congregate  on  the  vast  plains  on  the  high 
mountains,  where  they  allow  themselves  easily  to' 
be  captured.  They  are  migratory,  coming  in  mil- 
lions, and  staying  only  a short  tim6  on  the  dry 
lands  covered  wdth  grass  and  rich  vegetation  ; but 
where  larger  and  more  exciting  game  is  so  abund- 
ant, the  sportsman  considers  time  wasted  that  is 
given  to  the  insignificant  partridge.  Quail  is  very 
plentiful,  also,  but  very  little  cared  for.  Birds 
in  Java  are  generally  sought  for  their  beautiful 
plumage,  and  the  poor,  duU  little  quail,  having 
no  brilliancy  to  boast  of,  passes  unnoticed,  unless, 
as  sometimes  happens,  an  indolent  hunter  follows 
it  merely  for  the  excitement  of  the  chase. 

The  peacock,  wild  fowl,  and  partridge  are 
kindly  regarded  for  their  important  services  in 
devouring  the  bugs  and  insects  that  destroy  the 
tender  twigs  and  foliage  of  the  coffee,  indigo,  and 
cinchona  plantations.  The  mountain  ducks  con- 
gregate about  the  small  lakes  and  sheets  of  water 
that  frequently  rise  in  the  bottom  of  extinct  era- 


78  JAVA:  THE  PEARL  OF  THE  EAST 


ters,  and  in  the  fissures  opened  by  former  erup- 
tions. They  are  shy  and  wild,  and  not  often  seen 
below  an  elevation  of  4000  feet  from  sea  level. 
The  woodcock  and  wild  goose  frequent  the  paddy 
fields  and  swampy  flats  during  the  wet  monsoon, 
where  the  ambitious  sportsman  may  secure  in- 
credible numbers  in  one  day.  Plover  appear  in 
multitudes  a short  time  before  the  arrival  of  the 
woodcock,  and  remain  till  after  the  latter  has 
departed.  Some  localities  are  literally  alive  with 
plover  during  the  rainy  season.  The  turtle-dove 
attracts  more  interest,  perhaps,  than  any  other 
species  of  small  bird.  It  dwells  in  the  groves, 
gardens,  and  plantations,  where  its  plaintive  call  is 
heard  in  the  evening,  and  generally  for  a few  mo- 
ments once  every  hour  during  the  night,  awaken- 
ing a sentiment  of  sadness  in  the  bosom  of  the 
listener.  The  natives  are  extremely  fond  of  ring- 
doves, which  they  confine  in  cages  about  their  vil- 
lages. The  ring-doves  of  Java  are  pinkish-gray 
in  color,  with  necks  encircled  with  shining  black 
rings.  The  Javanese  attach  much  importance  to 
their  song,  if  their  triU  is  even  and  sonorous,  be- 
lieving it  to  be  a forerunner  of  happiness.  They 
also  believe  the  presence  of  the  ring-dove  in  their 
dwellings  to  be  a charm  against  loss  by  fire. 
Many  other  kinds  of  dove,  shading  in  color  from 
yellow  to  white  and  black,  are  found  in  the  forests 
and  jungles,  and  form  an  acceptable  and  common 
article  of  diet  on  the  tables  of  the  Europeans. 


FEATHERED  GAME 


79 


In  addition  to  the  comparatively  few  birds  we 
have  named  are  the  almost  interminable  species 
of  very  small  birds,  which  collect  in  cloud-like 
groujis,  and  sail  through  the  air,  towards  evening, 
in  long,  dark,  wavy  bands,  stretching  a mile  or 
more  in  length. 

The  small  birds  called  the  esculent  swallows, 
which  furnish  the  edible  birds’  nests  so  much 
prized  by  the  Chinese  for  their  supposed  property 
of  renewing  vigor  and  vitality  of  blood,  inhabit 
the  deep  caverns  and  fissures  in  cliffs  on  the 
coasts,  particularly  on  the  south  side  of  the  island, 
where  the  high,  overhanging  rocks  render  their 
abodes  secret  and  inaccessible,  except  by  descend- 
ing ropes  let  down  over  the  boiling  surf  from  the 
projecting  precipices  above.  Occasionally,  these 
birds  and  their  nests  are  found  in  the  remote  re- 
cesses of  gloomy  caves  a little  distance  from  the 
sea ; but  generally  the  swallows  prefer  those  re- 
treats where  they  can  attach  their  nests  to  cliffs 
whose  base  is  washed  by  the  foaming  breakers. 
Several  opinions  have  been  advanced  in  regard  to 
the  tenacious  substance  of  which  the  edible  birds’ 
nests  are  composed.  The  theory  now  established 
is,  that  it  consists  of  a glutinous  vegetable  matter, 
gathered  from  the  rocks  and  swallowed  by  the 
birds,  to  be  disgorged  and  employed  in  building 
the  nests.  Those  of  best  quality  are  white,  and 
about  the  size  of  tea-cups.  The  nests  are  made 
into  a soup,  and  are  eaten  only  by  the  rich 


80  JAVA:  THE  PEABL  OF  THE  EAST 


Chinese,  who  do  not  hesitate  to  give  thirty-five  or 
forty  dollars  for  a kati  of  them,  equal  to  about 
one  and  one  third  English  pounds.  The  excel- 
lence of  the  nests  de])ends  upon  their  situation. 
Those  that  are  found  in  the  dampest  and  deepest 
recesses  are  esteemed  as  possessing  more  of  the 
glutinous  and  transparent  quality  that  makes  the 
nest  valuable  than  those  that  cling  to  the  rocks 
near  the  entrance  of  the  caves,  where  there  is  a 
drier  and  freer  circulation  of  air. 

The  proprietor  of  a bird’s-nest  rock  is  very 
careful  in  his  management  of  the  birds.  If  the 
nests  are  gathered  too  often  or  in  too  great  num- 
bers, the  birds  will  emigrate  to  a more  inacces- 
sible retreat.  It  is  customary  to  fumigate  the 
caverns  at  intervals,  and  to  destroy  aU  the  old 
and  worthless  nests ; after  which  the  birds  are 
sometimes  allowed  to  remain  undisturbed  for  two 
or  three  years,  during  which  time  they  multiply, 
and  the  nests  greatly  increase,  to  the  future  ad- 
vantage of  the  proprietor.  As  the  best  nests  are 
the  most  difficult  to  obtain,  the  nest-gatherer’s 
task  is  beset  with  imminent  danger.  A false 
move,  a weak  section  in  the  rope,  or  an  insecure 
fastening  above,  and  he  is  dashed  to  pieces  on  the 
rocks  hidden  in  the  surf  boiling  and  foaming  be- 
low. After  the  nests  are  collected,  and  the  sea- 
son for  gathering  has  passed,  it  is  quite  common 
to  celebrate  the  event  by  giving  a buffalo  feast. 


CHAPTER  XIV. 


KEPTILES. 

Next  in  size  to  the  crocodile,  of  which  we  have 
already  spoken,  is  a species  of  lizard,  usually 
called  the  iguana  by  the  Europeans.  It  has  a 
wide  mouth,  crested  head,  four  short  feet  with 
hooked  claws,  a long  tail,  and  attains  a length  of 
six  or  seven  feet.  Its  haunts  are  similar  to  those 
of  the  crocodile,  but,  unlike  the  latter,  while  it  is 
very  ugly  and  rather  startling  to  look  upon,  it  is 
not  especially  dangerous.  It  lives  upon  hei’bs  and 
vegetables,  and  its  eggs  are  eaten  by  the  natives. 
Its  fat  is  highly  esteemed  for  medicinal  purposes. 
The  gheko  is  another  lizard  I’egarded  with  much 
disfavor  by  Europeans.  It  generally  lives  about 
ruins  and  dw^ellings,  concealing  itself  under  the 
eaves  of  the  roof,  or  behind  the  pictures  or  fur- 
niture against  the  walls ; in  fact,  in  almost  any 
dark  and  unfrequented  spot.  The  gheko  takes  its 
name  from  its  sharp,  hoarse  cry,  which  clearly 
calls  “ gheko,”  and  may  startle  one  at  any  mo- 
ment. It  avoids  the  light,  and  comes  out  of  its 
hiding-place  at  night  to  seek  water.  It  is  harm- 
less unless  attacked  ; then  its  bite  is  said  to  be  as 
poisonous  as  that  of  a snake.  The  natives  are 


82  JAVA:  THE  PEAKL  OF  THE  EAST 

superstitious  about  killing  the  gheko,  holding  that 
such  an  event  is  an  omen  of  misfortune.  There 
are  numerous  species  of  lizards  in  Java,  compris- 
ing all  sorts,  sizes,  and  colors,  but  the  chameleon 
and  the  little  scincoidian,  which  scampers  across 
the  ceiling,  with  back  downward,  like  a fly,  come 
most  frequently  under  notice.  Both  are  harmless, 
and  anxious  to  get  out  of  sight  as  soon  as  pos- 
sible. 

The  land  and  water  turtles  are  abundant  and 
considered  excellent  food,  and  both  supply  the 
tortoise-shell,  used  for  combs  and  fancy  articles, 
which  is  the  basis  of  a petty  traffic  in  the  towns 
about  the  coasts.  Gigantic  centipedes,  scorpions, 
toads,  and  frog-fish  may  be  estimated  by  the  mil- 
lions in  any  locality,  beside  the  billions  and  tril- 
lions of  insects,  all  colors  and  shapes,  which 
make  the  groves  and  forests  jubilant  \^’ith  their 
imceasing  song.  The  most  formidable  and  most 
to  be  dreaded  of  animals  or  reptiles  are  the 
stealthy  and  venomous  serpents  which  glide  noise- 
lessly about  in  the  most  frequented  places ; silent, 
subtle,  bold,  and  aggressive,  yet  seeming  to  seek 
concealment,  they  are  objects  of  terror  within 
and  without.  They  are  met  in  the  gardens,  where 
they  coil  their  brilliant  colors  about  the  shrub- 
bery or  make  bright  circles  on  the  dark  ground  ; 
also  on  the  verandas  and  in  the  bedchambers, 
even  in  the  beds,  where  one  may  find  them  at 
any  time.  In  short,  there  is  not  a nook,  comer. 


EEPTILES 


83 


or  cranny  in  all  Java  where  a snake  of  almost  any 
length  or  thickness  may  not  suddenly  reveal  itself. 
The  trees  abound  with  serpents.  So  numerous 
are  they  and  so  poisonous  that  the  most  indiffer- 
ent native  seldom  climbs  any  but  the  cocoanut- 
tree,  whose  tall  trunk,  destitute  of  leaf  or  limb, 
affords  little  opportunity  for  rest  or  concealment. 
To  wade  through  the  grass  or  travel  at  night  with- 
out a flambeau  to  illuminate  his  footsteps,  is  con- 
sidered by  the  native  rash  and  dangerous.  This 
perpetual  caution  becomes  second  nature  to  the 
inhabitant  of  Java. 

The  varieties  of  snakes  are  almost  countless ; 
many  are  much  dreaded,  and  their  bite  is  said 
to  produce  almost  immediate  death.  They  are 
beautifully  variegated  in  colors  more  or  less  bril- 
liant, incduding  shining  white  and  brightest  black, 
distributed  sometimes  in  stripes,  rings,  dots,  or 
diamonds,  or  they  display  one  solid  color  of  red, 
yeUow,  or  green.  Some  are  short  and  very  thick ; 
many  both  long  and  thick,  measuring  easily  from 
twelve  to  twenty  feet.  Others  are  long  and  slen- 
der like  a whiplash,  and  hang  about  the  branches 
of  the  trees  like  a supple  cord  or  rope.  Some  coil 
in  a heap  in  the  path,  and  instantly  prepare  for 
attack  by  blowdng  from  the  mouth,  before  they 
spring,  a green  vapor,  for  a distance  of  fifteen  feet 
or  more,  on  any  object  that  excites  their  alarm. 

The  boa-constrictor  and  the  python  are  quite 
common,  and  generally  considered  the  largest 


84  JAVA:  THE  FEABL  OF  THE  EAST 


species,  though  the  oelar  sawah,  that  infests  the 
rice  plantations,  is  sometimes  found  to  be  much 
larger,  and  is  said  to  be  able  to  charm  its  intended 
victim  into  tranqnillity.  The  natives  relate  hor- 
rifying tales  of  another  species,  how  they  suspend 
their  bodies  by  the  tail  from  the  limbs  of  trees 
above  paths  in  the  forest  which  are  traversed 
by  animals  going  for  water ; and  thus  swinging,  ' 
watch  and  wait  to  seize  upon  any  small  animal 
that  passes  beneath.  The  cobra,  so  dreaded  in 
other  parts  of  India,  is  unknown  in  Java,  though 
it  has  a representative  equally  vicious  and  poison- 
ous in  the  hamadryad.  ■ 

It  is  hardly  necessary  to  state  that  in  a country 
abounding  with  rivers  of  tepid,  muddy  water,  fish  ' 

must  be  wonderfully  abundant.  There  are  some  i 

thirty-five  or  forty  distinct  varieties  of  river  fish,  J 

all  excellent  for  food,  and  quite  as  many  kinds 
of  sea  fish.  The  latter  are  taken  with  nets,  and 
with  hook  and  line.  The  fishing-boats  go  out  to  ^ 

sea  with  the  land  breeze  before  daylight,  and  re-  ^ 

turn  with  the  sea  breeze  after  midday.  Several  '} 

methods  are  practiced  for  taking  river  fish.  One 
is  to  build  a bamboo  fence  across  the  streams ; jjj 
another,  to  throw  intoxicating  drugs  into  the 
water,  after  which  the  fish  soon  float  upon  the  S 
surface  and  are  easily  secured.  I 

Several  species  of  shark  infest  the  seas  in  the  ] 
archipelago,  but  the  white,  or  man-eating,  shark 
abounds  about  the  islands.  It  is  always  vora- 


REPTILES 


85 


cioiis,  of  great  size,  and  very  daring.  To  bathe 
in  the  surf  on  the  coasts  of  Java  is  a luxury  al- 
most unknown. 

It  is  very  much  easier  to  name  what  Java  does 
not  possess  than  to  enumerate  all  that  the  beauti- 
ful island  can  present.  Where  all  climates  pre- 
vail, it  is  safe  to  allow  that  anything  partaking 
of  earth,  air,  and  sky  can  be  produced.  The  most 
impartial  must  admit  that  Java  is  Nature’s  espe- 
cial pet,  upon  wliich  she  has  lavished  her  cher- 
ished favors.  Her  beauty  and  extraordinary  fe- 
cundity rightly  entitle  her  to  the  eminence  that 
no  other  country  of  her  size  enjoys,  but  where 
Nature  is  in  a continual  delirium,  ever  producing, 
developing,  and  devouring  to  produce  again,  what 
may  we  not  expect?  Here  we  see  a frenzy  of 
supply  and  waste ; a ceaseless  renewal  of  animal 
and  vegetable  life.  The  first  fiery,  passionate, 
and  impulsive,  concealed  under  a languid  and  in- 
different exterior ; the  second  glowing,  breathing, 
and  palpitating  under  the  forcing  heats  of  an 
equatorial  sun. 

Java,  with  her  extravagant  verdure,  her  moun- 
tain chains,  her  assemblage  of  symmetrical  vol- 
canoes, her  numerous  rivers,  her  boiling  wells  and 
fountains  of  fire,  her  matted  jungles  and  bamboo 
thickets,  her  extended  plains  and  vast  forests, 
her  lovely  groves  of  perpetual  shade,  her  gigantic 
trees  overflowing  with  fluids  and  perfumes,  her 
waving  palms  and  lofty  cocoas  crowned  with 


8G  JAVA:  THE  PEARL  OF  THE  EAST 

bending  heads  of  fruit,  her  glorious  flora,  her 
coffees,  spices,  odors,  and  essences,  her  monstrous 
tigers,  bats,  and  serpents,  her  sedate,  brown- 
skinned people,  with  their  soft  language  and 
gentle  ways,  stands  before  the  world  without  a 
compeer.  Nowhere  have  we  such  a variety  of 
contrasts.  Here  the  floods  of  heaven  suddenly 
deluge  the  earth,  to  be  immediately  absorbed  by 
the  fervid  sunshine ; electric  flames  rend  the 
clouds,  and  terrific  thunders  shake  the  air  under 
the  bluest  skies  and  most  brilliant  sun.  The 
mountains  spit  forth  showers  of  stone  and  fiery 
lava  on  smiling  fields  and  flowering  plains ; and 
the  thickets,  gorgeous  with  bloom  and  jubilant 
with  song,  conceal  the  savage  wild  beast  and 
deadly  serpent.  The  forests,  tingling  with  low 
music  from  millions  of  tiny  insect  throats,  echo 
the  thunderous  roar  of  the  hungry  tiger,  and 
birds  in  brilliant  plumage  warble  unceasingly  in 
the  beautiful  trees,  above  spiteful  snakes,  squirm- 
ing and  hissing  in  the  grass  below.  The  air  quiv- 
ers and  trembles  with  heat,  while  the  sweetest  and 
softest  zephyrs  rustle  among  the  drooping  leaves 
and  shining  foliage.  Scorching  days  are  followed 
by  refreshing  nights  moist  with  copious  dew,  and 
months  of  drought  are  succeeded  by  excessive  and 
restoring  rains.  In  Java,  Nature  delights  in  dis- 
playing her  eccentricities  ; and,  go  where  we  may, 
we  turn  with  wonder  to  the  “ Pearl  of  the  East.” 


CHAPTER  XV. 


THE  POPULATION. 

The  Javanese  appear  to  have  descended  from 
the  one  general  race  that  first  peopled  all  the 
islands  of  the  East  Indian  Archipelago ; and, 
though  it  cannot  be  said  that  they  bear  anything 
like  a marked  resemblance  to  any  one  of  the 
present  different  tribes  or  peoples  that  inhabit 
the  above-named  islands,  they  possess  sufficient 
likeness  in  common  to  show  that  they  belong  to 
one  origin.  The  Malays,  originally  from  Suma- 
tra, with  a large  admixture  of  Chinese  and  Arabs, 
make  up  the  native  population  on  the  coasts  ; the 
Javanese  proper,  being  an  altogether  agricultural 
people,  inhabit  the  interior. 

In  personal  appearance,  the  Javanese  is  rather 
small  in  stature,  well  shaped,  graceful,  slender 
and  erect  in  figure,  with  small  hands  and  feet, 
particularly  among  the  upper  classes ; and  those 
that  are  not  exposed  to  the  sun  and  outer  air 
have  bright  brown  complexions,  or  golden-yellow, 
which  is  their  standard  of  beauty.  Their  hair  is 
unusually  long,  straight,  and  very  black ; eyes 
black  or  very  dark,  small,  short  nose,  well-formed 
mouth,  broad,  full  forehead,  round,  somewhat  flat 


88  JAVA:  THE  PEABL  OF  THE  EAST 

face,  witli  a mild,  thoughtful  expression,  and  an 
air  of  sedate  and  respectful  deference.  There  is 
a very  decided  difference  between  the  higher  and 
lower  classes : the  former  being  much  fairer  in 
complexion,  and  more  delicate  and  refined  in  fea- 
ture, than  the  latter,  especially  in  the  case  of  the 
women,  who  are  sometimes  very  pretty,  and  al- 
Avays  gentle,  obliging,  and  more  or  less  attractive, 
after  the  fashion  of  the  Oriental  woman.  The 
race  matures  early,  and  the  sexes  marry  when 
very  young ; it  is  not  uncommon  to  see  mother 
and  daughter  parents  of  children  of  the  same  age. 
An  unmarried  man  beyond  the  age  of  twenty  is 
very  rare,  and  a woman  who  has  never  been  mar- 
ried is  an  absolute  curiosity.  They  are  a domes- 
tic people,  regidar  in  their  habits,  not  given  to 
roaming  from  one  locality  to  another,  fond  of 
their  children,  and  cherishing  the  female  off- 
spring A\dth  as  much  pride  and  tenderness  as  the 
male.  Slavery,  which  was  formerly  an  institution 
among  them,  has  been  wholly  abolished  by  the 
Dutch.  Altogether,  the  Javanese  are  a healthy, 
moderately  good-looking,  industrious,  and  thriv- 
ing race  ; taking  life  easily,  and  regarding  the 
future  with  the  utmost  indifference.  Polygamy 
is  the  custom  of  the  countrj^  and  divorce  is  fre- 
quent, and  obtained  without  difficulty.  The  first 
wife  aud  her  children  inherit  by  law  ; the  second 
and  her  children,  by  courtesy.  Some  of  the  re- 
gents and  princes  of  Java  are  known  to  have  as 
many  as  sixty  and  seventy  children. 


THE  POPULATION 


89 


The  Javanese  entertain  a profound  respect  for 
rank.  The  inferior  classes  never  dispute  the  will 
or  wisdom  of  their  superiors.  A Javanese  be- 
longing to  the  common  people  would  not  dare  to 
enter  the  presence  of  a noble  of  his  own  race 
without  assuming  a squatting  position  ; neither  is 
it  the  custom  for  a woman  to  eat  with  her  grown- 
up sons  or  husband,  nor  to  sit  with  them  unless 
requested. 

The  Chinese  in  Java  are  chiefly  found  on  the 
coast,  in  Bata\da,  Samarang,  and  Soerabaja.  The 
Arabs,  who  are  nearly  all  priests  and  religious 
teachers,  are  scattered  over  the  island.  These  for- 
eigners generally  marry  J avanese  wives ; and  the 
mixed  races,  including  half-castes  or  offspring  of 
the  European  and  Javanese,  consequently  make 
a large  element  in  the  population,  particularly 
in  the  cities.  The  Chinese  live  in  the  towns  in 
quarters  allotted  to  them  by  the  government,  and 
have  their  own  laws,  administered  by  their  own 
officers,  — a mayor,  captain,  and  lieutenant,  — 
appointed  from  among  their  number  for  that 
purpose  by  the  government. 

The  Chinese  are  much  more  enterprising  and 
persevering  than  the  Javanese  ; and,  although  not 
more  intelligent  than  the  latter,  are  so  sprightly 
and  alert,  and  quick  to  perceive  and  appropriate 
any  advantage  to  their  own  benefit,  that  they  have 
the  reputation  of  being  roguish  and  extortionate. 
They  engage  in  trade  of  all  descriptions,  and  are 


90  JAVA:  THE  PEABL  OF  THE  EAST 


princes  in  the  commerce  of  the  country.  The 
manipulations  of  the  opium  farms,  which  yield  an 
enormous  revenue,  are  entirely  in  the  hands  of 
the  Chinese.  The  Arabs  who  are  not  engaged  in 
the  promotion  of  religion  are  merchants ; both 
classes  doing  an  extensive  business  in  their  own 
particular  line. 

The  Malays  composing  the  population  on  the 
coasts  are  generally  confounded  wnth  the  original 
inhabitants  of  the  island,  while  they  are  in  real- 
ity quite  another  people.  They  are  shorter  and 
broader  in  stature,  with  faces  more  round  and 
flat,  and  a trifle  darker  in  color.  As  we  have 
said,  they  belong  to  Sumatra ; but,  emigrating  to 
the  coast  towns  of  Java,  and  constituting  that 
part  of  the  population  generally  seen  by  the  pass- 
ing visitor,  they  are  usually  spoken  of  as  being 
the  true  Javanese. 


CHAPTER  XVI. 


HOUSES  AND  DRESS. 

The  hut  or  cottage  of  the  Javanese  or  Malay 
is  very  simple  in  construction,  and  costs  little. 
Twelve  rupees,  equal  to  five  dollars,  will  build 
what  the  native  considers  a most  respectable  and 
comfortable  bamboo  hut,  and  twenty-five  or  thirty 
rupees  will  procure  him  a cottage  containing  two 
or  perhaps  three  rooms,  and  ornamented  with  a 
veranda.  When  he  becomes  tired  of  his  sur- 
roundings, or  prefers  a more  eligible  location 
within  easy  distance,  he  calls  in  two  or  three 
friends,  and  moves  his  domicile  to  the  more  de- 
sirable quarter.  The  walls  and  inside  partitions 
of  his  house  are  made  of  plaited  strips  of  flat- 
tened bamboo,  hung  or  nailed  on  a wooden  frame- 
work, which  is  roofed  with  attap  or  palm  thatch. 
The  houses  are  generally  without  windows,  suf- 
ficient light  being  admitted  through  the  door  and 
interstices  between  the  plaited  strips  of  bamboo. 
Where  people  pass  all  their  time  on  their  veran- 
das or  in  the  open  air,  and  the  one  desire  is  to 
keep  their  dwellings  dark  and  cool,  for  sleep  or 
retirement,  windows  are  considered  superfluous. 
The  dwelling  described  is  occupied  by  the  lower 


92  JAVA:  THE  PEARL  OF  THE  EAST 

classes.  The  natives  sleep  on  springy  bamboo 
benches,  about  a foot  high  and  six  or  eight  feet 
square,  called  the  “ bali-bali.”  On  these  primitive 
bedsteads  they  spread  the  universal  mats  and  pil- 
lows, making  cool  and  pleasant  sleeping -couches. 

The  houses  of  the  village  chiefs  and  petty  of- 
fice-holders cost  much  more  than  the  hut  oy  cot- 
tage of  the  peasant,  and  are  recognized  by  their 
increased  size  and  the  attap  with  eight  slopes. 
The  largest  and  best  dwellings  are  those  of  the 
nobles.  They  are  large  and  commodious,  built 
of  wood  or  stone  as  the  owner  desires,  and  are  dis- 
tinguished by  the  two  spreading  waringin-trees, 
indicating  nobility,  which  are  always  kept  grow- 
ing on  the  green  in  front.  The  house  of  the 
noble  stands  alone,  while  the  cottages  of  the  peas- 
ants are  in  groups,  and  generally  quite  concealed 
in  masses  of  luxuriant  foliage,  surrounded  by 
fences  of  bamboo,  within  which  each  cottage  is 
encircled  by  its  own  little  inclosure  of  banana 
and  cocoa-palm. 

The  Bopatis  — a title  given  to  the  Javanese  no- 
bles who  govern  provinces,  and  are  called  Regents 
by  the  Dutch,  — dwell  in  handsome  palaces,  which 
are  beautified  with  apj^ropriate  grounds.  The 
palaces  of  the  Sultan  and  Soesoenan,  the  two  na- 
tive sovereigns  of  Java,  are  richly  furnished,  and 
stand  in  the  midst  of  extensive  inclosures,  encir- 
cled by  high  fortified  walls,  and  are  called  “ kra- 
tons.”  The  outside  wall  around  the  kraton  of  the 


HOUSES  AND  DRESS 


93 


Soesoenan  at  Soerakarta  is  more  than  three  miles 
in  circumference,  inside  of  which  are  walls  within 
walls  and  squares  within  squares,  comprising  the 
various  apartments  used  for  state  purposes,  and 
by  the  families  that  attend  the  sovereign  and  the 
royal  princes.  Within  the  walls  of  the  kraton 
and  in  front  of  the  palace,  the  great  square  of 
superb  green  is  ornamented,  like  those  of  the 
smaller  palaces,  with  two  immense  waringin-trees. 

The  better  classes  among  the  Javanese  use 
many  handsome  and  sometimes  very  expensive 
articles  of  European  furniture,  while  the  lower 
classes  use  neither  tables  nor  chairs,  and  eat  with 
their  fingers  from  wooden  trays.  It  is  the  duty 
of  the  women  of  the  household  to  weave  the  cloth 
for  the  dresses  of  the  family,  which  consist  of  the 
sarong  and  kabaya  for  the  women,  and  the  sarong 
and  bajoe  for  the  men.  The  sarong  is  a piece  of 
cotton  or  silk  cloth,  some  eight  feet  long  and  four 
feet  wide,  either  plain  dark  blue  or  in  beautiful 
bright  figures  and  colors,  with  ends  sewed  to- 
gether and  top  and  bottom  left  open.  It  is 
slipped  over  the  body  and  laid  about  the  waist 
in  plaits,  which  are  held  in  place  by  a long  sash, 
allowing  the  balance  of  the  garment  to  fall  to  the 
ankles.  The  kabaya  is  a long,  sack-like  garment 
of  colored  print,  silk  or  white  muslin,  worn  over 
the  upper  half  of  the  body,  and  reaching  to  the 
knees.  The  bajoe  is  almost  the  same  garment, 
worn  by  the  men,  and  reaches  a little  below  the 


94  JAVA:  THE  PEARL  OF  THE  EAST 

waist,  the  sarong,  sash,  hajoe,  and  kabaya  varying 
in  richness  according  to  the  rank  or  circiunstances 
of  the  wearer.  The  men  wear  the  sarong  very 
short,  and  sometimes  under  it  thin  cotton  trou- 
sers. In  all  conditions  they  fold  a bright  cotton 
or  silk  handkerchief  around  the  head  in  a peculiar 
way.  In  the  case  of  men  who  are  rich  and  oc- 
cupy  good  positions,  the  dress  often  presents  a 
little  more  of  the  European  character,  in  the  ad- 
dition of  real  European  trousers,  with  a short 
jacket  resembling  a coat,  and  a white  vest  but- 
toned to  the  throat  with  diamond  buttons. 

The  women  never  cover  their  heads,  and  wear 
the  hair  combed  straight  back  from  the  forehead 
and  done  up  in  a round  knot  at  the  back  of  the 
head,  which  is  adorned  by  sticking  through  it 
long  gold  or  silver  pins,  ornamented  with  precious 
stones,  if  the  o\raer  of  the  head  can  afford  them. 
The  men  allow  their  hair  to  grow  long,  and  twist 
it  into  a flat  coll  on  the  top  of  the  head,  secure  it 
with  a comb,  and  cover  it  with  the  handkerchief. 
Both  sexes  use  perfumes  and  dress  the  hair  with 
cocoanut  oil.  The  peasants  when  at  work  in  the 
fields  usually  have  nothing  on  but  the  hip  cloth 
and  chapeng,  the  latter  a peculiarly  shaped,  broad, 
flat  hat  of  plaited  bamboo,  placed  on  top  of  the 
handkerchief.  The  court  costume  and  war  dress 
are  both  elaborate  and  expensive  affairs.  On  all 
occasions  and  in  all  conditions  the  J avanese  wears 
a belt,  with  the  kris  or  short  dagger  stuck  under 


HOUSES  AND  DRESS  95 

it  on  the  right  side  behind  ; also  a small  knife ; 
on  journeys  he  adds  a cleaver-like  weapon. 

They  are  all  fond  of  jewelry  and  perfumery, 
and  display  a profusion  of  finger  rings,  studs,  ear- 
rings, diamond-headed  pins,  necklaces,  and  brace- 
lets ; children  wear  armlets  and  anklets  of  gold 
or  silver.  The  Javanese  consider  it  “ mean  and 
degrading  not  to  dress  according  to  your  circum- 
stances, or  to  be  seen  in  low  company.  They 
hold  it  as  a rule  that  a man  should  robe  himself 
in  clothes  that  accord  with  his  position  and  con- 
dition, and  scorn  to  lie  or  disgrace  his  family  or 
play  the  hypocrite,”  — maxims  that  the  Western 
world  might  adopt  with  advantage. 

The  lower  classes  go  barefooted.  The  upper 
classes  wear  a shoe  sole  with  toe-piece  ; if  wealthy 
the  toe-piece  is  richly  embroidered  or  set  with  dia- 
monds. The  regents,  when  on  journeys  or  in  at- 
tendance with  European  officials,  frequently  wear 
shoes  for  the  time,  with  trousers  under  their  sa- 
rongs, and  over  their  headdress  a stiff  velvet  cap 
trimmed  with  gold  lace  and  with  a diamond  on 
the  crown.  The  wealthy,  when  they  go  abroad, 
have  servants  to  hold  a gigantic  umbrella  over 
them.  Their  dress  is  rich  and  in  colors  denoting 
their  rank,  and  they  preserve  a sedate  and  digni- 
fied air,  accepting  without  sign  of  recognition  the 
homage  of  the  poor  peasant  or  laborer,  who  is 
taught  to  fall  on  his  knees  as  they  pass. 

The  practice  of  filing  the  teeth  a little  concave 


96 


JAVA:  THE  PEARL  OF  THE  EAST 


in  front  and  dyeing  them  black  by  chewing  siri  is 
a custom  of  the  Javanese  handed  down  from  time 
immemorial.  The  operation  is  performed  when 
the  child  is  about  eight  years  of  age. 

It  is  the  custom  for  all  classes  to  bathe  at  least 
once  a day,  but  more  generally  twice.  The  poor 
resort  to  the  nearest  river,  where  they  disport 
themselves  in  the  water  a short  time,  wearing  the 
sarong  in  which  they  have  been  working  or  have 
just  slept,  and  dexterously  replacing  it  with  an- 
other that  is  clean  and  dry,  at  the  edge  of  the 
stream.  If  a river  is  not  convenient,  they  bathe 
at  the  side  of  a well,  pouring  the  water  on  the 
top  of  the  head  and  allowing  it  to  run  down  over 
the  body.  The  rich  have  luxurious  bath-rooms 
attached  to  their  dwellings.  All  classes  perfvune 
their  clothes,  rub  the  skin  with  fragrant  oils,  and 
dust  it  with  highly  scented  powder,  which  is  either 
white  or  bright  yellow.  The  aristocracy  use  the 
yellow  powder,  and  employ  yellow  in  the  silk  or 
satin  envelopes  in  which  they  send  messages  to 
their  friends. 

The  women  are  generally  intrusted  with  the 
pecuniary  affairs  of  the  family,  buying,  selling, 
and  making  bargains  according  to  their  own 
judgment ; the  males  of  the  family  always  accept- 
ing their  management,  it  being  quite  understood 
that  the  latter  possess  neither  the  taste  nor  incli- 
nation for  petty  matters  relating  to  money. 

The  kris,  of  which  there  are  many  shapes  and 


HOUSES  AND  DRESS 


97 


kinds,  modeled  after  the  one  essential  pattern, 
and  the  wearing  of  which  is  a national  institution 
in  Java,  seems  to  be  carried  quite  as  much  for 
ornament  as  for  use.  Stuck  in  the  belt  on  the 
right  of  the  back,  it  makes  a conspicuous  feature 
of  the  dress.  If  the  owmer  is  rich  the  handle  and 
scabbard  of  the  weapon  sparkle  with  brilliants. 
The  ki-is  is  worn  generally  by  the  inhabitants  of 
the  surrounding  islands,  to  which  fact  the  Javan- 
ese refer  with  much  pride,  as  confirmation  of  the 
ancient  records  relating  how  Java  once  governed 
all  those  countries.  To  make  the  weapon  more 
effective,  the  blade  is  often  serpentine  and  poi- 
soned, so  that,  should  the  victim  escape  death  from 
the  wound,  he  will  succumb  to  the  effects  of  the 
poison  received  in  the  blood.  While  we  cannot 
call  the  Javanese  a bloodthirsty  people,  it  is  cer- 
tain that  they  show  much  fondness  for  the  sight 
of  the  crimson  fluid,  and  will  stand  around  a 
bleeding  animal,  watching  its  dying  throes  with 
calm  satisfaction.  In  a country  where  the  passions 
of  revenge  and  jealousy  run  high,  where  wrongs 
and  extortions  are  frequently  committed,  and 
where  justice  is  slow,  there  is  a strong  incentive 
for  the  individual  to  redress  his  grievance  on  the 
spot.  In  view  of  this,  the  convenient  krls  is  dan- 
gerous. The  higher  classes,  however,  seldom  use 
it  as  a weapon  of  defense,  and  unquestionably  not 
unless  the  provocation  is  very  great.  Silent  poi- 
sons appear  to  be  their  favorite  mode  of  wreak- 
ing vengeance. 


CHAPTER  XVn. 


FOOD  AND  COOKING. 

The  Javanese,  being  Mohammedans,  avoid  eat- 
ing swine’s  flesh  and  drinking  intoxicating  bever- 
ages, Some,  who  are  direct  descendants  of  Hindu 
ancestors,  and  still  retain  their  veneration  for  the 
sacred  bull,  abstain  from  partaking  of  the  flesh 
of  either  the  cow  or  her  consort.  Rice  comprises 
their  principal  article  of  diet,  to  which  is  added 
flsh,  fowl,  and  vegetables,  of  which  they  have  an 
abundance.  The  ox,  deer,  goat,  and  buffalo  are 
acceptable  as  food,  and  cayenne  pepper  forms  a 
large  ingredient  in  everything  prepared  for  the 
table.  Milk  is  scarce,  and  butter  is  not  made  by 
the  Javanese.  White  grubs  and  a species  of 
worm  found  in  trees  are  esteemed  as  articles  of 
food,  but  rice  with  curry  and  red  pepper  consti- 
tutes the  “ staff  of  life  ” throughout  the  island, 
usually  accompanied  with  dried  fish,  dried  buffalo 
meat,  and  the  fruits  of  the  country.  Salted 
duck’s  eggs  are  largely  prepared  for  table  use,  to 
be  eaten  with  the  rice  and  curry,  to  which  are 
added  several  highly  seasoned  preparations  called 
sambels.  Sugar  manufactured  from  the  sugar- 
palm  is  plentiful,  and  much  used  in  delicacies 


FOOD  AND  COOKING 


99 


made  with  rice.  Tea  and  coffee  are  universally 
drunk  when  obtainable,  and  are  always  served 
with  the  two  regular  meals  of  the  day,  beside  be- 
ing taken  early  in  the  morning  with  a little  rice, 
and  in  the  middle  of  the  afternoon. 

Tobacco,  the  siri  leaf,  and  betel-nut  are  used  by 
all  classes.  The  two  last-named,  mashed  together 
with  a little  lime,  compose  the  siri,  which  all 
chew,  and  carry  about  with  them  in  siri-boxes.  It 
exudes  a blood-red  juice,  staining  the  lips  and 
blackening  the  teeth,  which  is  a mark  of  beauty 
in  the  estimation  of  the  Javanese,  who  declare 
that  to  have  “ white  teeth  like  an  animal  ” is  a 
gi-eat  reproach. 

The  practice  of  smoking  opium  is  indulged  in 
to  some  extent  by  the  Javanese,  though  not  car- 
ried to  the  excess  that  it  reaches  among  the  Chi- 
nese who  reside  on  the  island.  Its  effects  are  al- 
ways pernicious  and  degrading,  but  as  its  traffic 
yields  an  enormous  revenue  to  the  government, 
no  objections  are  presented.  It  is  not  eaten  in  its 
crude  state,  but  is  boiled  down  and  rolled  into 
piUs,  which  are  inserted  in  a pipe  and  smoked. 
Opium  pipes  are  frequently  very  elaborate  and 
costly ; an  opium  smoker  is  easily  recognized  by 
his  shattered  and  haggard  appearance,  and  is 
despised  as  a drunkard  and  a wortldess  wretch. 
The  opium  smoker  is  not  admitted  into  decent 
Javanese  society.  The  effect  of  the  drug  in  small 
quantities  is  said  to  be  pleasant  and  exhilarating, 


100  JAVA:  THE  PEARL  OF  THE  EAST 

but  if  used  mth  immoderation  it  excites  violent 
passions,  or  brings  on  paroxysms  of  madness.  At 
best  it  is  considered  a slow  and  certain  poison, 
which  gradually  destroys  the  body  and  the  mind, 
and  reduces  its  victim  to  the  level  of  the  brute. 
An  opium  smoker  is  soon  lost  to  every  humane 
and  respectable  influence,  becomes  callous  to  all 
claims  of  duty  or  affection,  and  gives  himself 
entirely  over  to  the  indulgence  of  his  dreadful 
appetite,  speedily  sinking  into  the  grave,  the 
most  abandoned  of  abandoned  creatures. 


CHAPTER  XVIII. 


AGRICULTURE. 

The  soil  and  its  possibilities  constitute  the 
great  wealth  of  Java.  To  agriculture  and  the 
product  of  the  crop  the  peasant,  the  merchant, 
the  official,  and  the  government  look  for  their 
revenue.  When  a tax  is  to  be  levied,  or  a new 
assessment  imposed,  or  assistance  to  the  treasury 
is  desired,  the  lands  are  surveyed,  the  fields 
planted,  and  the  harvests  estimated  in  advance. 
The  wealth  of  a district  or  a village  is  computed 
according  to  the  quality  of  its  soil  and  the  extent 
of  its  plantations. 

The  soil  exacts  little  care  from  the  cultivator, 
and  returns  an  enormous  interest  for  every  at- 
tention bestowed  upon  it.  Two  and  even  three 
crops  in  a year  from  the  same  ground  are  quite 
common,  and  still  leave  unexhausted  the  mar- 
velous fertility  of  the  soil.  As  we  have  already 
said,  everything  wiU  grow  in  Java ; but  rice, 
sugar-cane,  cinchona,  coffee,  tea,  indigo,  and  cocoa- 
nut  are  the  great  staples  of  the  country,  while 
other  tropical  products  are  abundant. 

The  rice  districts  on  the  low  grounds,  capable 
of  inundation,  are  termed  “ sawahs  ; ” the  higher 


102  JAVA:  THE  PEARL  OF  THE  EAST 

culture  on  the  dry  grounds,  “ tegal.”  It  is  on  the 
sawahs,  which  are  alleged  to  produce  the  best 
article,  that  the  important  rice  cultivation  is  pur- 
sued. The  price  of  rice  is  of  great  importance  to 
the  laborer,  who  receives  it  or  its  equivalent  in 
money  for  his  work.  One  kati,  or  pound  and  a 
third,  of  rice  is  considered  sufficient  for  the  sub- 
sistence of  one  person  for  a day.  Eice  in  the  hull 
or  in  the  field  is  called  “ paddy.”  All  other  grains 
are  cultivated  on  the  high  grounds.  There  are 
said  to  be  nearly  a hundred  different  kinds  of  rice 
on  the  island. 

A rude  wooden  plough,  a large  hoe,  and  a small 
reaping-knife  are  the  chief  implements  of  hus- 
bandry. The  plough  is  made  of  wood,  and  is  so 
light  that  when  the  work  is  done  the  peasant 
unhooks  his  buffalo,  throws  the  plough  over  his 
shoulder,  and  carries  it  home.  If  a harrow  is 
, used,  he  sits  upon  it  to  assist  in  leveling  the 
spongy  loam. 

The  village  priest  looks  after  the  seasons,  and 
apprises  the  inhabitants  of  the  approaching  time 
to  sow,  transplant,  irrigate,  and  reap,  giving  equal 
attention  to  the  periods  for  dry  and  wet  culti- 
vation. Added  to  the  crops  of  rice  are  several 
species  of  vegetables,  such  as  beans,  cucumbers, 
maize,  etc.,  the  seeds  of  w'hich  are  dropped  with 
the  rice,  and  reach  maturity  after  the  paddy  is 
harvested,  giving  a succession  of  crops  from  the 
same  ground.  Cotton  is  frequently  cultivated  in 
this  manner. 


AGRICULTURE 


103 


IVIaize  roasted  in  the  ear,  before  all  the  husk  is 
removed,  is  a favorite  article  of  subsistence.  It 
is  never  reduced  to  a meal  and  converted  into 
bread.  It  may  be  planted  at  any  time  of  the 
year,  and  thrives  luxuriantly.  There  are  several 
kinds : one,  especially,  bearing  a large,  full  grain, 
which  requires  seven  months  to  ripen ; another, 
having  a smaller  grain,  requires  three  months ; 
and  one  of  very  inferior  quality  matures  in  forty- 
five  days.  The  yam,  plantain,  sweet  and  white 
potato,  various  species  of  beans,  and  the  seed 
called  “ jawa-woet  ” are  cultivated  and  used  when 
there  is  a scarcity  of  rice. 

A toddy  is  made  from  the  liquid  procured  by 
tapping  the  aren,  or  sngar-palm,  of  which  the  na- 
tives are  very  fond,  although  intoxication  among 
them  is  almost  unknowm.  The  pith  taken  from 
this  tree  resembles  sago,  and  mixed  with  the  crude 
palm  sugar  makes  a popular  confection.  The 
soft  pulp  of  the  unripe  cocoa,  used  in  the  same 
way,  is  another  agreeable  pate. 

Oil  for  lamps  is  obtained  from  several  plants 
by  grinding  and  expressing  the  pulp,  but  oil  from 
the  eocoanut  is  the  most  desirable  and  plentiful. 
It  is  used  for  cooking,  and  when  fresh  does  not 
impart  a disagreeable  flavor.  The  natives  make 
it  for  their  own  use  by  grating  the  white  meat 
that  lines  the  inside  of  the  ripe  eocoanut,  then 
mixing  it  with  water  and  boiling  it,  when  the  oil 
comes  to  the  top  and  is  skimmed  off. 


104  JAVA:  THE  PEARL  OF  THE  EAST 


Sugar-cane,  of  which  there  are  numerous  vari- 
eties, is  extensively  cultivated  on  the  lowlands  aU 
over  Java,  and  is  not  prized  by  the  natives  for  its 
saccharine  juice,  but  is  eaten  as  a sweetmeat. 
The  process  of  manufacturing  sugar  is  left  to  the 
industry  and  ingenuity  of  foreigners.  Sugar  fur- 
nishes one  of  the  important  and  profitable  articles 
of  export.  Before  the  construction,  within  the 
last  few  years,  of  railroads  on  the  island,  the 
heavy  sugars,  rice,  and  other  products  that  were 
not  conveyed  to  the  coasts  by  water  were  carried 
on  the  backs  of  oxen,  buffaloes,  horses,  men,  and 
women.  In  this  manner  all  the  products  of  the 
interior  reached  the  seaports.  Within  a distance 
of  fifty  or  sixty  miles  from  Bata\ua  a clumsy  cart, 
drawn  by  buffaloes,  was,  and  is  still,  sometimes 
used  for  this  purpose.  Thirty-one  million  piculs 
of  sugar  were  exported  from  Java  during  the  five 
years  ending  1889.  One  picul  equals  one  hun- 
dred and  thirty-six  English  pounds. 

The  roads  aU  over  Java  are  exceptionally  good, 
having  been  constructed,  with  much  labor  and 
expense,  by  the  government,  and  by  the  latter  are 
kept  in  perfect  order.  Postal  and  telegraphic 
communication  is  also  thorough  and  complete. 
There  is  one  principal  highway  or  post  road,  ex- 
tending from  Anger,  on  the  Straits  of  Sunda,  to 
Soerabaja,  on  the  Strait  of  Bali,  covering  a dis- 
tance of  seven  hundred  and  fifty  miles.  Post 
stations,  with  relays  of  horses,  are  established  at 


AGEICULTUEE 


105 


intervals  of  five  miles  along  this  superb  public 
route,  which  is  crossed  from  north  to  south  by 
the  high  military  state  road  connecting  the  two 
native  capitals,  Soerakarta  and  Djokjokarta. 
Other  fine  roads  have  been  constructed  wherever 
they  were  demanded  by  commerce  or  deemed  ad- 
vantageous. 

Public  markets  are  held  twice  weekly  all  over 
the  island.  Traffic  of  nearly  every  description  is 
carried  on  at  these  public  sales.  Little  is  needed, 
from  thread  and  thimbles  to  silks  and  satins,  that 
cannot  be  there  procured.  The  Chinese  peddler, 
with  petty  trifles,  and  the  great  Arab  merchant 
are  both  in  the  bazars,  plying  their  respective 
trades.  Another  quarter  is  devoted  to  the  buy- 
ing, selling,  and  exchanging  of  cattle ; another  to 
vegetables,  fruit,  and  cooked  native  foods.  In 
short,  every  species  of  Eastern  trade  is  more  or 
less  practiced.  These  markets,  with  the  petty 
coasting  trade,  supply  everything  that  the  coun- 
try produces. 


CHAPTER  XIX- 


COFFEE,  TOBACCO,  PEPPER,  COTTON,  INDIGO. 

The  culture  of  coffee  was  introduced  by  the 
Dutch,  and  the  berry  has  since  become  one  of  the 
great  staple  exports  of  the  country.  Coffee  is 
regarded  as  one  of  the  government  monopolies. 
Its  production  and  delivery  into  the  government 
stores  are  effected,  if  need  be,  by  the  forced  labor 
of  the  natives. 

The  coffee  lands  in  Java,  with  the  exception  of 
eighteen  plantations  on  eighteen  estates  owned 
by  private  individuals,  in  freehold,  who  received 
their  rights  during  or  before  the  English  occupa^ 
tion,  are  the  property  of  the  government,  and  are 
either  cultivated  by  the  latter,  or  sold  to  planters 
on  leases  not  exceeding  a period  of  seventy-five 
years.  The  natives  dwelling  on  the  government 
lands  are  compelled  to  pay  to  the  government  a 
tax  of  one  day  of  labor  out  of  every  seven.  At 
the  end  of  the  season,  when  the  coffee  is  delivered, 
the  chiefs  each  receive  a certain  sum  per  picul 
for  the  quantity  produced  in  their  district,  and 
the  fixed  price  paid  by  the  government  is  divided 
among  the  workmen.  According  to  government 
statistics,  the  cost  price  of  prepared  government 


COFFEE,  TOBACCO,  PEPPER,  ETC.  107 

coffee  delivered  at  the  government  warehouses  is 
from  fourteen  to  sixteen  rupees  per  picul ; deliv- 
ered to  the  seaport,  sixteen  to  sixteen  and  one 
half  rupees  per  picul.  The  net  receipts  of  the 
government  are  about  thirty-one  and  a quarter 
rupees  per  picul.  One  rupee  is  equal  to  forty 
cents  in  gold. 

Three  hundred  and  fourteen  coffee  plantations, 
comprising  126,582  bahoes  of  land  (one  bahoe 
equal  to  about  one  and  a half  acres),  are  owned 
by  planters  on  leases,  at  prices  ranging  from 
5,000  to  2,285,350  rupees,  according  to  the  size, 
salubrity,  situation,  and  improvement  of  the  dif- 
ferent plantations.  In  the  domains  of  the  vas- 
sal princes  of  Djokjokarta  and  Soerakarta,  ninety- 
six  coffee  plantations,  covering  164,422  bahoes  of 
ground,  are  leased  at  a yearly  rental  of  from  102 
to  21,733  rupees,  according  to  their  value,  the 
coffee  to  be  delivered  to  the  government  at  an 
extremely  low  figure.  Added  to  the  products  of 
the  lands  named  is  the  coffee  from  the  monosoeko  ^ 
plantations,  which  also  goes  to  the  government, 
the  natives  preferring  generally  to  deliver  it  in 
the  red  husk,  at  from  five  to  seven  rupees  the  picul. 
The  eighteen  plantations  in  freehold  comprise 
572,754  bahoes  of  land.  These  estates  are  im- 
mense in  size,  and  very  valuable.  The  cultivators 
of  these  private  plantations  and  of  those  held  on 
leases  requiring  the  ground  to  be  cultivated  and 

^ Peasant  farming  of  small  portions  of  land. 


108  JAVA:  THE  PEARL  OF  THE  EAST 

improved  can  dispose  of  their  products  at  their 
owTi  option. 

Following  the  estimates,  we  learn  that  1,081,919 
piculs  of  prepared  coffee  were  gathered  from  239,- 
129,453  trees  on  the  government  plantations  in 
1883,  and  394,113  piculs  were  produced  on  the 
private  estates.  In  1889  the  government  yield 
fell  off  nearly  one  half,  and  the  private  estates 
reached  472,194  piculs.  The  annual  export  of 
coffee  from  Java,  during  the  last  twenty  years, 
has  varied  from  1,000,000  to  1,460,000  picids. 
About  100,000  piculs  are  used  yearly  in  Jav^a. 
The  average  number  of  trees  required  to  produce 
one  picul  of  prepared  coffee  is  241.  One  tree 
yields  from  a half  pound  to  a pound  and  a third. 

Considerable  discrimination  is  required  in  the 
selection  of  suitable  grounds  for  the  culture  of 
coffee,  which  requires  a much  higher  altitude  than 
sugar.  Situations  must  be  chosen  where  the  soil 
will  not  be  washed  away  from  the  roots  of  the 
trees  in  the  rainy  seasons,  and  where  the  shrivel- 
ing rays  of  the  sun  will  not  have  too  powerful  an 
effect  on  the  young  plants.  The  sheltered  slopes 
and  valleys  on  the  base  of  the  mountains  and  the 
undulating  sides  of  low  chains  of  hills  are  usually 
preferred  for  the  successful  culture  of  the  coffee 
berry.  The  plants  raised  on  the  highest  eleva- 
tions generally  produce  the  best  quality  of  fruit, 
and  for  the  longest  period. 

After  preparing  the  groimd  for  the  reception 


COFFEE,  TOBACCO,  PEPPER,  ETC.  109 

of  the  young  plants,  by  clearing  it,  burning  the 
rubbish,  enriching  the  soil  with  the  ashes,  and 
giving  it  several  ploughings  and  levelings,  dadap 
and  kapok  trees  are  planted  to  shade  them,  and 
ditches  are  dug  in  low  situations  to  drain  away  the 
water,  after  which  the  coffee  plants  are  removed 
from  the  nursery  into  the  gardens ; this  is  man- 
aged so  as  to  bring  the  planting  time  towards  the 
end  of  the  rainy  season.  When  the  soil  is  not 
very  fertile  the  plants  are  set  about  six  feet  apart, 
with  dadap  trees  between  them.  If  the  soil  is  rich, 
a shorter  distance  is  observed  and  fewer  dadaps 
are  required.  It  is  foimd  that  the  dadap  affords 
the  most  desirable  shade  for  the  coffee-tree,  and 
the  higher  the  ground,  the  fewer  dadaps  are  nec- 
essary. 

A flourishing  plantation  on  an  elevated  situa- 
tion wdU  produce  the  berry  for  a period  of  eigh- 
teen years,  while  on  the  lower  grounds  six  or 
seven  years  is  the  allotted  time,  and  the  fruit  is 
not  so  good.  The  coffee  bush  seldom  exceeds  six- 
teen or  seventeen  feet  in  height,  and  in  good  sit- 
uations produces  from  one  to  twenty,  or  per- 
haps twenty-five  pounds  during  its  life.  When 
the  berries  assume  a dark  red  color  they  are  care- 
fully picked,  one  at  a time,  care  being  taken  not 
to  disturb  the  blossoms  and  imripe  fruit  still  on 
the  trees. 

After  the  picking,  the  berries  are  spread  on 
Troad  bamboo  trays  and  placed  in  the  drying- 


110  JAVA:  THE  PEABL  OF  THE  EAST 

house,  a few  feet  above  low  fires,  and  the  sun, 
prejudicial  to  the  flavor  of  the  coffee,  is  excluded. 
Coffee  berries  dried  in  the  sun  are  lighter  in  color 
and  weight  than  those  dried  by  artificial  heat,  and 
the  decoction  made  from  the  former  is  weak  and 
insipid.  Caution  is  required  not  to  bruise  the 
beans  in  separating  them  from  the  dried  husk, 
after  which  they  are  packed  in  bags  ready  for  the 
market.  The  superiority  of  the  Java  coffee  is  so 
well  known  that  it  is  not  necessary  to  speak  of  it. 
By  many  it  is  considered  the  best  coffee  in  the 
world. 

Tobacco  is  extensively  cultivated  in  some  of 
the  higher  districts.  Tobacco  lands  must  be  ex- 
empt from  inundations,  and  possess  the  richest 
soil.  In  locations  especially  favorable  to  the  to- 
bacco plant,  it  reaches  a height  of  ten  feet,  and 
flourishes  with  a remarkable  luxuriance.  On  the 
elevated  regions  in  the  interior  of  the  island, 
tegal  rice  and  tobacco  are  sometimes  raised  in  al- 
ternate years  with  advantage  on  the  same  groimd. 
The  native  is  fond  of  tobacco  for  smoking,  but 
siri  takes  its  place  for  other  purposes. 

The  pepper  vine,  which  requires  four  or  five 
years  to  produce  fruit,  grows  luxuriantly  in  Java, 
and  seems  to  thrive  on  almost  any  kind  of  soil. 
Its  cultivation  was  at  one  time  regarded  as  an 
important  industry,  particularly  in  the  western 
districts  of  Bantam,  but  the  government  monop- 
oly is  said  to  have  become  so  oppressive  in  its 


COFFEE,  TOBACCO,  PEFPER,  ETC.  Ill 

character  that  it  was  abandoned,  and  the  produc- 
tion of  pepper  is  left  to  Sumatra  and  other  islands 
in  the  archipelago. 

Cotton  is  raised  to  some  extent,  but  is  of  infe- 
rior quality.  Neither  the  soil  nor  the  climate  ap- 
pears to  be  very  favorable  to  its  growth.  In  some 
parts  of  the  island  the  plant  flourishes,  but  yields 
a meagre  product ; in  other  parts,  the  lowlands 
are  unfit  for  it.  It  does  best  in  localities  devoted 
to  mountain  rice,  but  there  a supply  of  cotton 
sufficient  for  the  population  cannot  be  obtained. 
The  plant  grows  here  about  one  and  a half  feet 
high,  and  the  Javanese  regard  its  cultivation  with 
profound  respect. 

Java  offers  special  advantages  for  the  cultiva- 
tion of  indigo.  A poor  quality  is  produced  as  a 
second  crop  on  the  sawahs  after  the  paddy  has 
been  harvested.  The  best  quality  comes  from  the 
highlands,  where  the  plant  reaches  its  greatest 
luxuriance.  With  proper  selection  of  ground,  it 
is  allowed  that  indigo  can  be  raised  with  success 
in  Java  the  year  round.  It  forms  one  of  the 
principal  dyes  in  the  country,  and  is  extremely 
cheap. 


CHAPTER  XX. 


LAND  AND  GOVERNMENT. 

The  proprietary  rights  of  land  in  Java,  with 
the  exception  of  the  few  private  plantations  men- 
tioned in  the  preceding  chapter,  are  vested  exclu- 
sively in  the  government.  There  is  no  law  or 
custom  which  entitles  the  occupant  of  land,  even 
though  said  occupant  may  have  reclaimed  it  from 
the  jungle,  to  consider  it  as  his  own,  or  as  such 
to  sell,  will,  or  give  it  to  any  one  whom  he  may 
desire  to  have  enjoy  the  fruits  of  his  industry. 
He  can  only  convey  it  to  another  to  hold  tiU  the 
expiration  of  his  lease,  when  his  plantation,  with 
his  seventy-five  years’  labor  and  improvement,  re- 
turns to  the  general  land-owner,  the  government, 
from  whom  it  was  purchased.  The  few  planters 
who  absolutely  own  their  soil  are  hut  little  better 
situated  than  the  owner  of  a lease  of  this  descrip- 
tion. Their  taxes  are  hea^'y,  and  they  pay  about 
as  much  for  reaping  from  their  own  land  as  they 
would  pay  as  tenants  of  the  government. 

The  system  of  what  is  known  as  forced  labor 
may  appear  to  be  an  oppression  or  extortion  prac- 
ticed upon  the  poor  native,  upon  the  principle 
that  “ might  is  right,”  hut  this  view  of  the  matter 


LAND  AND  GOVERNMENT 


113 


is  scarcely  correct,  and  it  must  be  admitted  that 
there  is  not  a colony  in  the  East  that  has  been  gov- 
erned with  the  general  residt  of  peace,  prosperity, 
and  happiness  which  has  attended  the  Dutch  rule 
in  Java.  The  natives  are  well  cared  for,  enjoy 
the  comfort  and  security  of  permanent  employ- 
ment, and  are  protected  from  the  devastating  wars 
and  cruel  rapacity  of  their  own  princes.  It  is  true 
that  the  Dutch  govern  greatly  to  their  own  inter- 
ests, the  island  of  Java  alone  yielding  an  annual 
revenue,  net,  to  Holland  of  from  23,000,000  to 
25,000,000  guilders  before  the  revolt  of  the  na- 
tives in  Acheen,  on  the  north  coast  of  Sumatra, 
in  1873.  The  expense  of  this  long-continued  re- 
bellion has  reversed  the  old  order,  and  Holland, 
instead  of  receiving  the  yearly  surplus  from  her 
colonies,  and  notwithstanding  the  increased  taxes 
imposed,  has  to  supply  a deficiency  counted  in 
millions  to  meet  the  drain  of  the  Acheen  war, 
aside  from  the  losses  of  commercial  depression. 
These  adversities,  however,  do  not  concern  the 
ti'aveler,  who  perceives  only  the  general  success 
of  the  policy  of  the  government,  and  is  surprised 
to  find  the  same  comfort,  security,  refinement,  and 
cultivation  on  this  distant  island  that  he  would 
enjoy  in  any  capital  or  country  in  Europe. 

The  Dutch  rule  in  Java  requires  the  exercise 
of  great  tact  and  diplomacy.  The  old  system  of 
native  government  is  retained  so  far  as  is  possi- 
ble, and  the  native  rulers  are  still  in  power ; at 


114  JAVA:  THE  PEARL  OF  THE  EAST 


the  same  time  they  are  under  surveillance,  and 
transmit  their  orders  as  mere  mouthpieces  of  the 
Europeans.  In  this  way  the  enormous  population 
is  controlled  through  its  own  chiefs.  Each  dis- 
trict is  governed  by  a native  regent,  and  with 
him  is  placed  a Dutch  resident  or  assistant  resi- 
dent and  a controleur.  The  resident  makes  sugges- 
tions to  the  regent,  and  recommends  the  grounds 
that  are  to  be  cultivated,  which  friendly  advice 
the  regent  understands  as  laws  that  must  be  im- 
plicitly obeyed.  The  regent  in  his  turn  commu- 
nicates with  his  officials,  and  so  the  desires  of  the 
resident  are  transmitted  through  aU  the  grades 
of  office,  reaching  at  last  the  peasant  that  plucks 
the  coffee  berries.  These  regents  receive  ample 
incomes  from  the  government. 

The  controleur  assists  the  resident,  inspects  the 
proceedings  in  the  native  courts  in  the  district, 
sees  that  no  wrong  or  injustice  is  practiced  by  the 
village  chief  upon  the  common  people  and  that 
every  man  is  fairly  treated,  and  looks  after  the 
management  of  the  government  lands  and  planta- 
tions. 

The  Soesoenan  is  the  nominal  head  of  his  own 
dominions,  the  native  provinces,  but  his  prime 
minister,  the  Raden  Adipati,  is  the  actual  ruler. 
The  Soesoenan,  although  a sovereign,  with  a splen- 
did court  and  retinue,  has  scarcely  the  liberty 
of  leaving  his  palace  without  the  consent  of  his 
“ elder  brother,”  the  Dutch  Resident,  and  must 


LAyD  AND  GOVERNMENT 


115 


always  be  attended  by  Dutch  soldiers,  under  the 
appearance  of  an  honorable  escort.  He  receives 
a fabulous  revenue  from  the  Dutch,  who  manage 
his  lands  and  control  their  revenues,  while  he 
amuses  himself  with  his  empty  pomp,  the  flattery 
of  his  nobles,  and  the  diversions  of  his  harem. 
The  succession  to  the  throne  descends  from  father 
to  son,  although  the  European  government  claims 
the  right  of  deciding  who  shall  reign,  but  sup- 
ports as  far  as  is  consistent  with  its  own  interests 
and  the  prosperity  of  the  people,  the  rights  of 
primogeniture. 

The  administration  of  the  general  government 
as  a whole  is  the  same  as  that  applied  to  each 
province  or  district ; and,  while  the  J avanese  are 
encouraged  in  retaining  their  own  laws  and  cus- 
toms, the  protectorate  is  careful  to  observe  that 
those  laws  and  customs  are  administered  accord- 
ing to  the  interests  of  the  European  rule.  The 
high  priests  insist  upon  the  practice  of  the  writ- 
ten law  of  the  Koran,  which  is  observed  as  modi- 
fied by  necessity.  They  are  generally  Mohamme- 
dan Arabs,  and  are  charged  with  privately  inciting 
the  people  to  rebellion  and  discontent,  though 
their  ostensible  occupation  is  the  sti’ict  adminis- 
tration of  justice  and  religious  instruction,  with 
exhortations  to  duty  by  precept  and  fable,  some 
of  which  are  highly  instructive  and  impressive, 
as  we  perceive  by  the  following  examples,  copied 
from  their  code  of  morals  • — 


116  JAVA:  THE  PEAEL  OF  THE  EAST 

“ A man  who  does  evil  to  his  companions  acts 
against  the  sacred  writing's  and  the  lessons  of  his 
instructor ; he  can  never  enjoy  prosperity,  but  will 
meet  with  misfoi’time  in  all  his  proceedings.  Such 
a man  is  like  a piece  of  porcelain,  which,  when  it 
falls  to  the  ground,  breaks  into  many  pieces,  and 
can  never  be  rendered  perfect.” 

“ The  forest  and  the  tiger  lived  together  in  close 
friendship,  so  that  no  one  could  approach  the  for- 
est, for  the  tiger  was  always  in  the  way ; nor  the 
tiger,  for  the  forest  always  ’afforded  him  shelter. 
Thus  they  both  remained  undisturbed,  on  account 
of  the  mutual  security  they  afforded  each  other. 
But  when  the  tiger  abandoned  the  forest  and 
roamed  abroad,  the  people,  seeing  that  the  tiger 
had  quitted  it,  immediately  cut  down  the  forest 
and  converted  it  into  plantations ; the  tiger,  in  the 
mean  time,  taking  shelter  in  a village,  was  seen  by 
the  people,  who  soon  found  means  to  kill  him.  In 
this  manner,  both  parties,  by  abandoning  their 
mutual  duties  to  each  other,  were  lost.” 

“ These  are  the  qualities  necessary  to  constitute 
a good  housewife  : she  must  be  well  made  and 
well  mannered,  gentle,  industrious,  rich,  liberal, 
charming,  of  good  birth,  upright,  and  humble. 
A stingy,  curious,  dirty,  foul-mouthed,  vulgar, 
false,  intriguing,  lazy,  or  stupid  woman  is  not 
only  entirely  unfit  for  a housewife,  but  will  never 
be  beloved  by  a husband.” 


CHAPTER  XXI. 


MA^fUFACTURES  AND  INDUSTRIES. 

The  Javanese  manufactures  are  very  few  and 
very  simple.  Where  climate  and  taste  render  so 
little  necessary  for  the  comfort  and  happiness  of 
the  people,  and  where  every  family  can  supply  its 
own  wants  within  its  own  immediate  vicinity,  and 
without  the  aid  of  foreign  articles  or  assistance 
of  any  description,  there  is  slight  incentive  for  the 
development  of  manufacturing  skill,  or  encourage- 
ment for  invention.  Nature  truly  furnishes  every- 
thing needed  or  desired  by  the  Javanese.  His 
climate,  rice  fields,  coffee  gardens,  palm  groves, 
and  bamboo  thickets  supply  all  that  he  deems 
needful.  He  determines  the  size  and  quality  of 
his  dwelling  to  meet  his  wants  and  accord  with 
his  condition  ; for  the  Javan,  more  than  any  other 
civilized  individual,  follows  the  demands  of  neces- 
sity, without  any  regard  to  art  or  appearance. 
He  neither  makes  shawls,  silks,  gloves,  nor  beau- 
tiful china,  though  he  has  the  materials  for  each. 
In  his  simple  bamboo  cottage,  he  would  not  know 
what  to  do  with  such  superfluities,  therefore  they 
do  not  interest  him.  He  is  familiar  with  stone- 
cutting  and  brick-making,  because  he  builds  the 


118  JAVA:  THE  PEARL  OF  THE  EAST 

dwellings  of  the  nobles,  foreign  merchants,  and 
rich  Chinese  with  these  materials.  He  under- 
stands perfectly  how  to  make  thatch  for  his  roof, 
mats  for  his  bed,  and  cotton  for  his  sarongs. 
He  sijins  his  yarn,  and  weaves  his  cloth  without  a 
loom,  and  paints  and  dyes  the  materials  for  his 
sarongs  with  the  most  beautiful  colors.  To  prepare 
the  white  cloth  for  this  purpose,  he  steeps  it  in 
rice-water ; then,  with  hot  wax  forced  through  a 
short  tube,  traces  or  covers  the  figures  he  wishes 
to  paint  upon  it,  and  dips  the  article  in  the  dye, 
which  makes  no  impression  on  the  wax.  The  lat- 
ter he  removes  by  soaking  the  cloth  in  hot  water ; 
then  he  traces  it  again  until  wax,  and  dips  it  in 
a different  dye,  and  so  on  till  he  gets  all  the  colors 
and  fio^ures  he  desires.  If  his  sarongf  is  to  have  red 
or  scarlet  on  it,  he  steeps  the  cloth  in  oil  for  sev- 
eral days  before  applying  the  wax  and  dye.  This 
process  imparts  to  the  cloth  a pecidiar  rich  ap- 
pearance, and  a strange  but  not  unpleasant  odor, 
which  it  retains  a long  time.  Silks  are  treated  in 
the  same  manner,  the  designs  and  colors  indicat- 
insr  the  rank  of  the  wearer.  To  make  a sarong 
as  just  described  requires  from  ten  to  seventeen 
days.  The  colors  in  the  fine  painted  sarongs 
are  exquisitely  soft  and  beautiful. 

AVe  could  add  some  thirty  or  more  handicrafts 
to  those  already  named  in  the  preceding  chapters, 
all  of  which  are  practiced  with  more  or  less  merit. 
The  tanner,  stone-cutter,  carpenter,  tinsmith,  and 
iron  smith  are  always  the  most  in  demand.  The 


MANUFACTURES  AND  INDUSTRIES  119 


well-tempered  blade  of  tbe  kris  brings  a very 
high  jirice,  and  the  manufacture  of  its  sheath  is 
a profession  in  itself.  On  the  coasts,  the  making 
of  salt  from  sea-water,  and  fishing  and  the  curing 
of  fish,  form  occupations  that  employ  a fair  por- 
tion of  the  population.  In  the  three  largest  cities, 
the  manufacture  of  a spirit  called  “ arrack,”  from 
rice  and  the  sugar-palm,  is  a profitable  industry. 
Foundries  for  different  works  in  iron  and  mills 
for  the  manufacture  of  gunpowder  have  long  been 
established.  Tailors,  seamstresses,  painters,  gold- 
smiths, silver  workers,  and  artisans  of  many  other 
useful  handicrafts  find  constant  occupation  in  the 
towns. 

The  care  of  the  teak  forests  is  an  employment 
of  some  magnitude  in  Java,  and  is  confined  to  a 
part  of  the  population  known  as  the  Blandong 
people.  The  Blandong  dwell  in  villages  in  and 
about  the  forests,  and  are  occupied  during  eight 
months  in  the  year  in  cutting  and  dragging  the 
ponderous  teak  from  their  innermost  recesses ; 
the  other  four  months  are  given  to  the  care  and 
watching  of  the  young  trees.  Many  other  occu- 
pations could  be  named,  and  much  more  said 
about  the  emplojunent  of  the  people  ; but  it  will 
be  seen  that  the  am])le  resources  of  the  fertile 
plains,  the  prolific  sea,  vast  forests,  and  nourishing 
climate,  supply  an  easy  and  agreeable  livelihood, 
and  the  inhabitants  of  Java  have  little  occasion 
to  trouble  their  heads  about  inventions  or  manu- 
factures. 


CHAPTER  XXII. 


THE  CHARACTER  OF  THE  PEOPLE. 

It  is  difficult  to  give  a just  idea  of  the  personal 
character  of  the  Javanese.  Though  not  advanced 
in  what  is  termed  European  learning  or  know- 
ledge, they  are  by  no  means  deficient  in  intelli- 
gence, or  inapt  in  comprehending  anything  they 
have  a strong  desire  to  understand.  They  have 
made  little  progress  in  the  arts  and  sciences, 
but  they  are  quick  in  observing  and  judging  cor- 
rectly. They  are  acute  and  delicate  in  perception, 
docile  and  cheerful  in  disposition,  willing  to  oblige 
and  be  obliged.  When  compared  with  the  in- 
habitants of  temperate  zones,  they  are,  no  doubt, 
lacking  in  energy  and  perseverance,  deficiencies 
that  generally  distinguish  the  native  within  the 
tropics,  but  which  in  the  Javanese  are  compen- 
sated for  by  their  admirable  patience  and  faith- 
fulness. When  incited  to  action,  they  are  fre- 
quently capable  of  great  exertion,  and  wiU  labor, 
for  a short  period,  on  a footing  with  any  one. 
They  are  quiet,  imcomplaining,  and  affectionate, 
fond  of  music,  easily"  excited  to  wonder,  and  given 
to  superstition,  especiaDy  the  lower  classes,  who 
recognize  omens  in  every  unusual  event.  They 


TUE  CHARACTER  OF  THE  PEOPLE  121 


are  proud  and  full  of  religious  prejudice,  though 
much  more  liberal  than  the  Mohammedans  on  the 
adjoining  islands. 

A somewhat  voluminous  writer  on  Java  says, 
“ The  inhabitants  of  Java  are  proud,  brave,  lazy, 
and  treacherous.”  This  statement  in  reference 
to  the  Javanese  is  probably  true  if  we  are  to  con- 
sider them  as  soldiers  ; but  a Javan  seen  as  an 
humble,  faithful  friend  and  reliable  servant,  well 
treated  and  appreciated,  bears  a very  different 
character.  The  sedate  and  listless  appearance  of 
the  J avanese  resembles  stupidity ; but  few  people 
possess  a more  ready  apprehension,  and  they  are 
veritable  children  in  their  simple  credulousness. 
No  matter  how  strange  the  phenomenon  or  how 
improbable  the  tale,  they  are  willing  to  accept  it. 
They  discover  signs  and  prognostications,  either 
lucky  or  unlucky,  in  the  countenance  of  a friend, 
in  dreams,  in  certain  occurrences  on  certain  days 
of  the  month,  in  birds  flying  towards  one  or  other- 
wise, and  especially  in  taking  the  life  of  particular 
animals.  To  kill  a gheko  brings  sure  disaster 
to  the  slayer.  To  dream  of  a snake  or  a tiger 
foretells  certain  events,  which  they  look  for  and 
speculate  upon  in  advance.  A stranger’s  taste 
and  mode  of  dress,  and  manner  of  arranging  his 
furniture  in  his  room  or  dwelling,  conveys  to  the 
sharp  and  discriminating  eyes  of  the  native  a 
pretty  correct  idea  of  his  general  character.  From 
seemingly  the  most  trivial  incidents  the  old  and 


122  JAVA:  THE  PEARL  OF  THE  EAST 

experienced  Javanese  sometimes  predict  the  great 
events  in  one’s  career,  in  a manner  which  the 
future  proves  to  have  been  done  with  amazing 
certitude. 

The  nobles  consider  it  a reproach  to  engage  in 
trade,  and  the  common  people  deem  it  an  honor 
to  follow  the  pursuit  of  agriculture.  When  new 
rice  plantations  are  to  be  broken,  the  highest 
noblemen  accompany  their  dependents  to  the 
grounds  and  take  part  in  the  labor,  to  do  honor 
to  the  earth.  In  connection  with  this  work  the 
buffalo,  as  chief  aid  to  the  husbandman,  receives 
great  deference  ; so  much,  indeed,  that  new-born 
infants  are  often  carried  to  the  buffalo  to  be 
breathed  upon  by  the  latter,  in  the  behef  that  it 
will  bring  them  good  fortune. 

The  Javanese  are  uniformly  kind  and  gentle 
with  each  other;  receiving  the  advice  of  the  vil- 
lage chiefs  and  priests  with  the  utmost  veneration, 
and  seldom  refusing  relief  or  assistance  when  it 
is  needed.  They  treat  children  and  aged  people 
with  extreme  kindness,  yielding  to  the  counsels 
of  age  and  experience  wdth  contented  submission, 
and  obeying  the  commands  of  their  superiors  with 
willing  alacrity. 

In  the  tovms  and  capitals  it  is  admitted  that 
the  natives  are  influenced  by  the  bad  example  of 
the  Europeans,  and  have,  to  a great  extent,  lost  the 
simple  and  unaffected  principles  that  distinguish 
them  in  the  unoontaminated  districts  in  the  in- 


THE  CHABACTER  OF  THE  PEOPLE  123 


terior.  The  lower  classes  are  considered  more 
honest,  faithful,  and  ingenuous  than  the  upper 
classes,  among  whom  jealousy  and  ambition  engen- 
der deceit,  selfishness,  and  aggression,  and  the 
means  of  gratification  encourages  bitterness  and 
passion,  and  promotes  rivalries.  All  classes  are 
imiversally  hospitable  and  strictly  temperate,  gen- 
erally living  according  to  their  income,  never 
miserly,  fond  of  display  of  dress  and  splendor, 
giving  great  attention  to  their  persons,  and  scru- 
pidously  neat  in  their  attire.  If  rich,  their  dress 
and  jewels  always  indicate  their  wealth. 

Jealousy  sometimes  urges  them  to  deeds  of 
violence,  or  a great  wrong  inflicted  prompts  in- 
discriminate destruction,  and  the  indignant  suf- 
ferer, unable  to  endure  the  imposition,  and  less 
able  to  avenge  it,  in  a sudden  frenzy  of  madness 
whips  out  his  kris  and  runs  amok  (amuck),  cut- 
ting and  slashing  at  everything  till  run  down  and 
killed  by  his  pursuers.  Unprovoked  assassina- 
tions are  extremely  rare.  Petty  thefts  and  rob- 
beries occur  occasionally,  but  when  kindness  and 
confidence  are  extended  they  generally  meet  with 
commendable  fidelity. 

The  effects  of  polygamy  are  not  conducive  to 
the  elevation  of  their  character.  Among  the  upper 
classes  its- baneful  influences  are  not  difficult  to 
trace  ; family  ties  are  not  respected,  jealousies 
are  aroused,  malignant  passions  often  excited,  and 
the  active  and  combined  influences  of  husband 


124  JAVA:  THE  PEARL  OF  THE  EAST 

and  wife  ignored.  The  Koran  permits  the  Mo- 
hammedan to  have  four  wives,  and  if  a noble  he 
is  privileged  to  add  as  many  consorts  as  he  likes. 
The  peasants  and  poorer  people  have  generally, 
in  a fashion,  escaped  these  pernicious  influences, 
and  as  a rule  confine  themselves  to  one  wife  at 
a time,  or  at  most  to  two,  compromising  with 
their  moderation  by  frequent  change. 

The  Javanese  rarely  adopt  new  habits.  It  is 
their  custom  to  rise  as  soon  as  dajdight  appears, 
bathe,  partake  of  a little  rice  and  coffee,  and  pro- 
ceed at  once  to  their  fields,  where  they  labor  tiU 
ten  o’clock,  then  return  to  their  dwelling  and  eat 
their  first  hearty  meal.  From  ten  to  four  the 
heat  is  intense,  during  which  time  they  remain  in 
the  shade  of  their  huts  and  verandas,  doing  such 
work  as  their  necessities  require.  At  four  o’clock 
they  eat  rice  and  di-ink  coffee  or  chocolate,  and 
return  to  the  fields,  to  remain  till  six,  when  they 
seek  their  homes  and  partake  of  their  second  sub- 
stantial meal,  and  spend  the  evening  sitting  to- 
gether listening  to  music,  or  in  quiet  conversation. 

The  Malays  living  on  the  island  are  somewhat 
different  in  character  from  the  Javanese.  They 
are  more  active,  show  more  enterprise,  are  more 
fond  of  trade  and  bargaining  in  a small  way, 
more  desirous  of  seeing  the  world  and  of  adopt- 
ing the  ideas  of  foreigners,  more  passionate  and 
vindictive,  and  although  quite  as  intelligent,  are 
by  no  means  so  simple-minded  and  ingenuous  as 
the  gentle  Javanese. 


CHAPTER  XXIII. 


RELIGION  AND  RANK. 

The  faith  of  Mohammed  is  the  established 
religion  of  the  country,  and  came  in  with  the 
overthrow  of  the  Hindu  empire  of  Modjopahit, 
in  the  year  1475.  In  1511,  when  the  Portu- 
guese first  arrived  on  the  island,  there  was  a 
Hindu  king  in  Bantam ; between  that  date  and 
1620,  when  the  Dutch  established  a commercial 
settlement  at  Bantam,  the  whole  country  seems  to 
have  accepted  Mohammedanism.  The  Javanese, 
however,  are  the  least  bigoted  of  the  followers  of 
the  Prophet,  and  in  this  respect  are  very  different 
from  the  Mohammedans  in  other  parts  of  the 
world.  Arab  religious  teachers  are  arriving  con- 
stantly, and  the  Mohammedan  law  prevails,  but 
in  many  respects  it  is  blended  with  the  ancient 
Hindu  institutions  of  the  country. 

The  Javanese  chiefs  and  nobles  make  frequent 
pilgrimages  to  Mecca,  and  when  they  return  to 
Java  assume  the  utmost  sanctity,  which  gives  them 
such  extraordinary  power  in  practicing  upon  the 
credulity  of  the  lower  and  uneducated  classes  that 
the  government  has  deemed  it  expedient  to  dis- 
conntenance  the  custom  as  much  as  possible. 


126  JAVA:  THE  PEARL  OF  THE  EAST 

The  Mohamraetlan  priests  are  credited  with 
being  at  the  bottom  of  every  attempt  at  rebellion  ; 
and  as  the  rebellions  have  greatly  increased  in 
late  years,  it  may  be  inferred  that  the  Arab  teach- 
ers are  multiplying,  and  that  the  Javanese  are 
beginning  to  entertain  a more  ready  appreciation 
of  their  owm  power  and  importance  in  a recogni- 
tion of  the  natural  wealth  of  their  country,  and  in 
the  knowledge  of  the  strength  w'hich  lies  in  their 
rapidly  increasing  population. 

When  the  peaceful  natives  are  incited  to  at- 
tack and  slaughter  the  European  intruders,  which 
sometimes  occurs,  it  is  usually  attributed  to  the 
intrigues  and  exhortations  of  the  Arab  priests, 
who,  as  religious  teachers,  possess  an  unlimited  in- 
fluence over  the  people.  Every  village  possesses 
a mosque  and  priests,  either  Arab  or  their  de- 
scendants, who  conduct  a ]\Iohammedan  service. 
These  spiritual  instructors  decide  everything  of 
importance  belonging  to  the  native.  In  matters 
of  fees,  marriage,  separation,  divorce,  inheritance, 
revenues,  and  cultivation  of  the  lands,  the  priest 
determines.  Every  large  town  has  a high  priest, 
who  presides  over  all  the  inferior  priests  in  the 
siibordinate  villages  and  districts,  and  holds  an 
ecclesiastical  court  to  settle  affairs  that  are  too 
weighty  for  his  assistants  to  decide  upon.  The 
number  of  priests  in  Java  is  said  to  reach  several 
hundred  thousand.  They  wear  broad  white  tur- 
bans, long  white  gowns,  cultivate  a lengthy  beard 


RELIGION  AND  RANK  127 

on  the  chin,  and  affect  a grave  and  dignified 
manner. 

Circumcision  is  a religious  ceremony  with  the 
Javanese,  but  in  many  other  respects  they  seem  to 
hold  little  in  common  \vith  the  Mohammedans  of 
Arabia  and  continental  India.  For  instance, 
they  refrain  from  everything  like  noisy  demon- 
stration. They  would  rather  eat  pork  than  drink 
wine,  while  the  ordinary  Mohammedan  can  become 
very  obstreperous,  and,  if  compelled,  would  prefer 
to  take  wine  and  abstain  from  pork.  Neither  do 
they  indulge  that  hatred  and  contempt  for  Chris- 
tians as  infidels  that  others  of  their  faith  evince. 
They  cling  to  their  ancient  Hindu  customs  and 
superstitions,  where  opportunity  sanctions  the  ad- 
herence, and  regard  with  reverential  pride  the 
memorials  of  their  ancient  faith  and  grandeur. 

As  we  have  before  observed,  the  Javanese  pay 
great  respect  to  sanctity,  old  age,  and  experience  ; 
and  when  these  are  accompanied  with  rank,  there 
seems  to  be  no  limit  to  the  excess  to  which  their 
deference  is  carried.  In  any  case,  their  respect 
for  a superior  is  unbounded.  No  native  of  Java, 
no  matter  what  his  position  or  condition,  would 
dare  to  stand  in  the  presence  of  superior  rank. 
Through  all  the  various  grades  of  title  and  office, 
from  the  Sultan  to  the  peasant,  this  extreme  hom- 
age is  observed 

The  princes  of  the  royal  family  must  not  stand 
in  the  presence  of  the  Soesoenan,  and  those  of  a 


128  JAVA:  THE  PEARL  OF  THE  EAST 

lower  rank  must  not  stand  in  the  presence  of  the 
princes,  and  so  it  goes  down  to  the  village  chief, 
each  exacting  the  same  respect  from  those  below 
him.  "When  a petty  office-holder  goes  abroad, 
the  common  people  sink  down  upon  their  heels 
while  he  is  passing.  This  position  is  assumed 
upon  all  occasions  when  deference  is  demanded. 
Instead  of  rising,  as  Western  nations  do,  to  show 
respect  when  an  important  personage  enters  or 
approaches,  they  do  the  opposite,  slowing  sinking 
back  and  down  upon  their  heels,  and  remain  so 
till  they  manage  to  back  out  of  sight. 

When  a native  of  high  rank  travels  on  the 
highway,  the  laborers  in  the  fields  drop  their 
w’ork,  and  assume  the  position  described  above  as 
he  passes  along.  Neither  is  an  inferior  allowed 
to  reply  to  a superior  in  the  common  language  of 
the  country;  he  must  reply  in  the  language  of 
honor,  the  court  language.  Under  no  circum- 
stances can  a superior  be  addressed  in  anj-thing 
but  the  court  language  ; therefore  it  is  positively 
necessary  for  those  who  expect  to  communicate 
with  superiors  in  rank,  or  with  court  officers, 
to  possess  a knowledge  of  tliis  language.  The 
higher  rank,  however,  is  pri  sieged  to  address  the 
lower  in  the  ordinary  vernacular.  Children  of 
good  families  are  practiced  in  these  distinctions 
from  earliest  infancy,  and  taught  to  observe  them 
in  their  intercourse  wdth  their  own  parents.  To 
approach  a parent,  a chief,  or  a superior  in  rank  or 


RELIGION  AND  RANK 


129 


office  without  making  the  sumbah,  a form  of  obei- 
sance consisting  in  closing  the  hands  together, 
raising  them  to  the  forehead,  and  inclining  the 
body  forward,  is  a breach  of  good  manners  never 
committed.  Sometimes  on  great  public  occasions, 
where  the  rank  is  very  exalted  on  one  side,  the  in- 
ferior will  humbly  kiss  the  sole  of  the  great  man’s 
foot. 

When  the  Sultan  or  the  Soesoenan  leaves  his 
palace,  great  state  and  ceremony  are  observed. 
An  Immense  golden  umbrella  is  carried  at  the 
head  of  the  procession,  followed  by  a numerous 
retinue  of  spearmen  guarding  the  figures  of  the 
sacred  bull  and  elephant,  which  with  horses  cov- 
ered with  rich  trappings,  and  led  behind  them, 
precede  the  sovereign,  who  is  sheltered  by  another 
golden  payoeng.  Boxes  containing  everything 
requisite  for  the  sovereign  are  sometimes  carried 
in  the  procession. 

The  regalia  of  state  and  the  royal  shield  are 
all  wrought  of  gold  inlaid  with  precious  stones. 
The  handle  of  the  kris  of  a rich  noble  is  gener- 
ally one  blaze  of  diamonds,  and  the  umbrella  car- 
ried before  him  is  always  a costly  affair,  in  yellow, 
white,  gold,  green,  or  red,  according  to  his  rank, 
the  sovereign  alone  using  the  golden  payoeng. 
Yellow  is  the  royal  color. 

Many  of  their  ceremonies  have  been  handed 
down  from  the  ancient  Hindus.  Before  the  Mo- 
hammedan conquest  the  sovereign  was  called  the 


130  JAVA:  THE  PEARL  OF  THE  EAST 

Ratoe,  instead  of  the  Soesoenan,  which  title  is  a 
little  more  devout  than  Sultan.  The  titles  of  the 
royal  ])riuces  and  princesses  were  also  changed 
after  that  period;  hut  to  enter  into  the  names 
and  distinctions  of  all  these  adjuncts  of  noble  birth 
woidd  create  endless  repetition  and  confusion. 


CHAPTER  XXIV. 


SOME  CUSTOMS  AND  AMUSEMENTS. 

Marriage  contracts  are  made  at  an  early  age 
by  the  parents  or  relatives,  on  the  ground  that  it 
is  their  duty  to  provide  well  for  their  children’s 
future,  and  that  the  contracting  parties  are  too 
young  and  too  inexperienced  to  exercise  prudent 
judgment.  During  the  period  between  the  ask- 
ing and  the  marriage  itself  presents  are  made  by 
the  families  to  the  bride.  When  all  is  ready,  the 
father  of  the  bride,  accompanied  by  the  bride- 
groom, proceeds  to  the  mosque,  where  the  chief 
priest  collects  the  marriage  fees  and  pronounces 
the  betrothed  parties  man  and  wife  ; after  which 
the  bridegroom  returns  to  the  house  of  his  father- 
in-law,  where  the  bride  comes  out  to  meet  him 
with  a low  obeisance,  in  token  of  her  submission 
to  him  during  the  remainder  of  her  life.  Feasts 
and  festivals  celebrate  the  occasion,  and  proces- 
sions, with  music,  conduct  the  bride  to  the  house  of 
her  father-in-law.  If  the  parties  possess  exalted 
rank,  sometimes  camion  are  fired  and  national 
music  is  played. 

Divorces  are  frequent  and  very  easily  obtained 
If  the  wife  is  dissatisfied  with  the  husband,  she 


132  JAVA;  THE  PEARL  OF  THE  EAST 

can  pay  a sum  in  proportion  to  her  rank  and  be 
rid  of  him  ; he  on  his  part  accepting  her  decree, 
considering  it  a disgrace  to  be  connected  with  a 
woman  who  treats  him  mth  derision  and  con- 
tempt. The  husband  may  divorce  his  wife  when- 
ever he  pleases  by  returning  her  dower,  or  by  pro- 
\dding  her  with  a suitable  support. 

Some  very  singular  ceremonies  are  observed 
when  a child  is  born.  As  soon  as  it  attains  the 
age  of  nine  months  a sort  of  scenic  representation 
and  a festival  are  given.  When  a person  of  good 
position  dies,  the  relatives  meet  at  the  house  of 
death,  to  express  their  grief  and  distribute  pres- 
ents, particularly  to  the  priests.  The  corpse  is 
wrapped  in  a white  cloth,  laid  on  a bier,  and,  ac- 
companied by  the  friends  and  relatives,  carried  to 
the  grave,  where,  before  interment,  the  priests 
address  a prayer  to  the  soul  of  the  deceased,  and 
after  interment  resume  prayers  and  pronounce 
benedictions.  The  week  succeeding  the  death, 
the  same  priests  repair  to  the  house  of  the  de- 
ceased to  pray  with  his  relatives  ; and  at  various 
stated  times  afterwards  prayers  are  offered  for 
the  welfare  of  the  departed  soul.  Instead  of 
placing  the  dead  body  in  a coffin,  it  is  wrapped 
in  a mat  for  committal  to  the  ground.  A camboga^ 
tree  is  planted  by  the  side  of  the  grave,  which  is 
frequently  kept  strewn  ■ndth  flowers  for  years. 
Some  of  the  cemeteries  are  very  handsome,  and 
the  graves  of  the  nobibty  are  ornamented  T^dth 


SOME  CUSTOMS  AND  AMUSEMENTS  133 

tombs  bearing  beautifully  sculptured  Arabic  in- 
scriptions. Priests  are  appointed  to  take  partic- 
ular care  of  these  inclosures. 

The  Javanese  have  two  dramatic  entertain- 
ments that  are  considered  somewhat  interesting. 
In  one,  splendidly  attired  characters  repeat  a dia- 
logue, and  perform  their  parts  in  a manner  simi- 
lar to  that  of  actors  on  a European  stage,  and  this 
is  attended  with  music.  The  other,  often  exliib- 
ited  on  the  streets,  is  a sort  of  shadow-pantomime 
history  of  the  valiant  deeds  of  the  heroes  in  the 
fictions  and  fables  of  ancient  Hindu  and  Javan- 
ese mythology.  The  attention  with  which  these 
performances  are  watched  is  inconceivable.  The 
audience  will  sit  silent  and  immovable  a whole 
night,  with  their  eyes  fixed  in  breathless  interest 
upon  the  representations. 

The  dancing-girls  of  J ava,  called  the  “ bedaya,” 
are  distinguished  by  the  utmost  grace  and  deco- 
rum in  their  behavior.  Their  performances  con- 
sist of  graceful  attitudes  and  convolutions  of  the 
body  and  limbs,  and  divers  jjeculiar  motions  of  the 
hands  and  fingers.  They  are  gorgeously  dressed, 
and  almost  covered  with  rings,  necklaces,  armlets, 
and  jewels  of  the  most  costly  character,  and  make 
their  face,  neck,  and  arms  soft  and  yellow-looking 
with  perfumed  powder.  The  dance  is  rather  grave 
than  otherwise,  and  is  performed  to  slow  and  sol- 
emn music.  The  bedaya  are  seldom  above  the 
age  of  fourteen  or  fifteen,  and  perform  only  in 


134  THE  PEARL  OF  THE  EAST 

the  presence  of  ro^’alty  and  persons  high  in  rank 
and  command. 

There  is  another  set  of  dancing-girls,  known  as 
the  “ roug'geng,”  that  make  a profession  of  the  art ; 
they  are  to  be  found  in  all  the  towns,  and  hire 
themselves  out  on  all  occasions.  The  native  re- 
gents frequently  keep  a coiqjs  of  the  rong’geng 
for  their  special  festivities.  Their  songs  and  ac- 
tions are  lacking  in  grace,  and  their  conduct  is 
sometimes  highly  impi’oper. 

^len  execute  a sort  of  posture  dance  at  the 
court  of  the  sovereign,  with  the  shield  and  kris, 
or  with  the  bow  and  arrow,  going  through  the  va- 
rious exercises  to  the  sound  of  music.  They  are 
naked  to  the  waist,  and  cover  their  bodies  with 
5"ellow  powder,  and  assume  all  kinds  of  graceful 
attitudes  in  handling  their  shield  or  bow  and 
arrow  while  passing  in  slow  procession  before  the 
prince.  There  is  another  performance  by  the 
men,  when  they  cover  their  bodies  with  green  and 
yellow  powder,  and  dance  ^ith  flowers  in  their 
hands.  On  great  public  occasions  the  chiefs 
indulge  in  a spear  exhibition,  which  consists  in 
throwing  the  weapon  into  the  air  and  catching  it 
again  with  great  dexterity. 

Several  peculiar  amusements  take  place  among 
the  children,  with  the  aid  of  music,  and  belong  ex- 
clusively to  the  domestic  circle,  such  as  putting  a 
basket  over  a child  and  covering  it  with  a cloth, 
when  singing  and  clapping  of  hands  is  performed 


SOME  CUSTOMS  AND  AMUSEMENTS  135 


around  the  basket  in  time  with  music,  till  the 
child  is  regarded  as  put  under  a charm,  when 
the  basket  rises,  and  the  former  slips  out  and 
dances  in  a seemingly  unconscious  frenzy,  till  it  is 
apparently  exhausted  and  sinks  into  sleep  ; then  it 
awakens,  and  pretends  utter  ignorance  of  what  has 
happened.  In  a special  entertainment  for  chil- 
dren, a cocoanut,  carved  to  resemble  the  face  of  a 
human  being,  is  placed  imder  a tree,  where  a spirit 
is  supposed  to  enter  it,  and  is  then  brought  into 
the  house  and  swung  by  two  dancing  children  to 
music.  Another  popular  amusement  for  children 
is  to  dress  a number  of  persons  to  appear  as  ani- 
mals in  different  attitudes  and  in  combats,  which 
are  accompanied  with  the  beating  of  the  drum 
and  gong. 

On  Saturday  afteimoon,  the  day  on  which  the 
Soesoenan  appears  in  public,  all  the  princes,  no- 
bles, and  high  officers  assemble  on  the  great  green 
square  in  front  of  the  palace,  taking  places  accoird- 
ing  to  their  respective  ranks,  to  await  the  appear- 
ance of  their  sovereign,  who,  as  soon  as  he  has 
descended  the  steps,  mounts  a horse  in  waiting  and 
rides  aroimd  the  immense  waringin-trees,  the  no- 
bles falling  in  behind  him  as  he  makes  the  circle. 
Tournaments  and  other  exercises  of  like  character 
now  commence,  especially  tilting  and  the  use  of 
the  spear,  for  which  the  Javanese  show  an  inordi- 
nate fondness.  Monday  is  the  day  on  which  the 
chiefs  of  the  different  towns  appear,  in  the  after- 


136  JAVA;  THE  PEARL  OF  THE  EAST 

noon,  on  horses  ornamented  with  rich  trappings, 
when  the  same  entertainments  take  place  among 
them. 

The  combat  between  the  buffalo  and  the  tiger 
is  a favorite  amusement.  A tiger  confined  in 
a cage  is  placed  in  the  centre  of  a large  circle 
siu'rounded  by  spearmen,  three  or  four  deep.  A 
buffalo  is  brought  in,  and  men  excite  him  by  prod- 
ding him  with  nettles,  etc.  The  cage  door  is 
opened  and  the  tiger,  enraged  by  the  application 
of  burning  straw  and  maddened  wdth  pain,  springs 
upon  the  buffalo,  which  gores  him  vnth  his  horns. 
The  buffalo  generally  conquers,  destroying  some- 
times two  or  three  tigers,  and  dying  himself  in  a 
few  days  from  the  wounds  he  has  received.  If  the 
tiger  survives,  he  rushes  toward  the  wall  of  spears 
to  make  his  escape,  and  is  immediately  dispatched 
by  the  spearmen  plunging  their  weapons  into 
him. 

Stag-hunting  is  another  diversion  among  the 
Javanese,  but  chiefly  in  the  eastern  districts.  The 
ram  and  the  wild  hog  are  sometimes  brought  out 
on  the  green  to  fight,  and  they  furnish  an  amusing 
spectacle,  the  ram  retreating,  when  his  antagonist 
gets  the  advantage,  to  a small  covering  for  pro- 
tection, where  he  waits  for  a favorable  oppor- 
tunity to  rush  out  and  avenge  himself.  Cock- 
fighting,  quail-fighting,  and  cricket-fighting  are 
favorite  sports  among  the  common  people. 

Dice,  chess,  and  checkers  are  ordinary  pas- 


SOME  CUSTOMS  AND  AMUSEMENTS  137 

times,  to  which  are  added  many  other  games  of 
chance  and  skill  peculiar  to  the  archipelago.  The 
natives  are  also  very  fond  of  betting,  and  will 
lay  a wager  on  any  trifling  uncertainty,  such  as 
the  flying  of  a kite,  the  number  of  kernels  in  a 
nut,  etc.  In  these  games  and  contests,  the  pieces 
or  animals,  whichever  they  may  be,  that  are  en- 
gaged generally  represent  the  Javanese  on  one 
side,  and  the  foreigners  on  the  other,  or  the  kings, 
queens,  and  princes  of  the  former  contesting  with 
their  enemies.  Consequently  these  performances 
are  watched  with  the  deepest  interest,  and  when 
the  objects  representing  the  Javanese  triumph 
the  delight  of  the  people  is  unbounded. 


CHAPTER  XXV. 


THE  LANGUAGE. 

The  Javanese  language  is  more  or  less  inter- 
mixed with  the  various  dialects  in  use  in  several 
of  the  surrounding  islands.  The  characters  are 
the  same,  and  it  is  the  opinion  of  some  learned 
linguists  that  one  generic  language  prevails 
throughout  the  islands  of  Java,  Bali,  and  Ma- 
doera.  Four  dialects  are  spoken  in  Java.  Malay, 
the  general  language  of  the  archipelago,  is  spoken 
in  the  cities  on  the  coast,  where  the  popidation 
is  either  Malay,  or  mixed  Malay  and  Javanese. 
In  the  western  districts  of  Java  the  Sundanese 
is  spoken,  and  in  the  eastern  provinces  the  Javan- 
ese language  is  used  exclusively.  The  language 
of  honor  is  spoken  at  the  native  court.  The 
Sunda  language  is  alleged  to  be  the  most  ancient, 
and  is  a simple  dialect,  meeting  all  the  wants  of 
the  simple  people  that  speak  it ; many  of  its 
words  are  pure  Malayu,  some  are  Sanskrit,  and 
much  of  it  is  from  the  Javanese. 

The  Javanese  alphabet  is  composed  of  twenty 
consonants  ; in  addition  to  which  there  are  twenty 
auxiliary  characters,  used  in  forming  the  com- 
pound consonants.  In  addition  to  these  there  are 


THE  LANGUAGE 


139 


seven  characters,  consisting  of  contractions  of 
certain  consonants  which  are  used  in  connection 
with  other  consonants.  There  are  five  inherent 
vowel  signs,  and  five  signs  which  supplant  the  in- 
herent vowel. 

The  Javanese  \vrite  from  right  to  left,  make 
the  letters  entirely  separate,  and  leave  no  space 
betw'een  the  words.  A comma  or  a diagonal  line 
at  the  end  of  a composition  indicates  a period,  and 
is  the  only  mark  of  punctuation  used.  They  have 
no  grammar,  but  the  construction  of  their  lan- 
guage is  regular  and  extremely  simple.  It  con- 
tains many  synonyms,  and  is  wonderfully  profuse 
in  words,  expressing  the  most  profound,  delicate, 
and  complicated  shades  of  meaning.  There  is 
also  a great  variety  of  dialects  or  distinctions 
between  the  language  of  honor  and  the  language 
of  the  uneducated,  as  referred  to  in  a foregoing 
chapter. 

Children  are  first  taught  to  draw  their  let- 
ters in  the  sand,  and  then  to  follow  the  word  or 
object  in  all  its  ideas  and  applications,  so  as  to 
acquire  a full  understanding  of  many  synonyms 
belonging  to  it.  The  exercise  prepares  them  for 
an  acquaintance  with  the  court  language,  which 
contains  much  of  the  Malayan  and  numerous 
w'ords  of  Sanskrit  origin,  mixed  with  the  Ja- 
vanese and  an  extensive  addition  of  foreign 
words.  Beside  the  four  languages  or  dialects  in 
use  in  Java,  there  is  a classic  language,  called  the 


140  JAVA:  THE  PEARL  OF  THE  EAST 


Kawi,  in  which  the  fables,  poems,  historical  rec- 
ords, and  various  inscriptions  on  stone  are  writ- 
ten, At  what  remote  period,  or  how,  the  Ka\d 
language  was  introduced  into  Java  appears  to  be 
uncertain ; but  it  is  supposed  to  be  the  channel 
through  which  the  Javanese  received  their  store 
of  Sanskrit  words.  A Javanese  scholar,  in  writ- 
ing, uses  many  words  from  the  Kaw'i,  which  may 
have  been  the  one  original  language  employed 
throughout  the  archipelago  at  some  earlier  and 
unknown  time.  The  Javanese  language  is  rich, 
copious,  and  refined,  and  suited  to  an  advanced 
and  cidtured  people ; it  is  flexible  and  easily 
adapted  to  aU  occasions,  and  abounds  in  grace- 
ful and  delicate  distinctions.  It  is  soft  and 
hai-monious,  readily  acquired,  and  clings  to  the 
memory. 

The  most  important  compositions  in  the  ancient 
literature  of  Java  are  written  in  the  Kawi  lan- 
guage, and  seem  to  consist  of  mythological  and 
fabulous  accounts  of  Hindu  and  Javanese  heroes 
and  their  miraculous  feats  in  love,  combat,  con- 
quest, and  religion.  What  is  termed  the  modern 
literature  of  the  Javanese  is  generally  written  in 
verse,  and  frequently  describes  the  pure  character 
of  a beautiful  woman,  with  her  virtues  and  de- 
votion to  God.  They  possess  some  Arabic  com- 
positions which  relate  to  religion,  and  are  increas- 
ing. Their  poetry  is  elevated  in  sentiment,  and 
seems  to  take  the  character  of  ad\dce  and  instruc- 


THE  LANGUAGE 


141 


tion.  An  epic  poem,  called  the  Holy  War,  is  a 
great  favorite,  and  furnishes  the  characters  for 
one  of  the  most  popular  scenic  representations  of 
early  mythological  Javanese  history. 

The  acting  of  these  poems,  when  accompanied 
with  the  music  of  the  gamalan,  possesses  great 
interest  for  all  classes  of  society.  The  music 
of  the  gamalan  salindeo,  their  largest  and  most 
perfect  hand  of  musical  instruments,  adds  much 
to  the  impressive  representation  of  the  perform- 
ances of  the  gods,  demigods,  and  heroes  of  Hindu 
and  Javanese  fictions.  The  Javanese  gamalan  is 
composed  of  from  fifteen  to  sixty  wooden  and 
metal  instruments,  the  most  noticeable  of  which 
are  the  gongs  and  xylophones,  which  are  struck 
with  wooden  hammers  covered  with  elastic  gum. 
Some  of  the  instruments  are  stringed,  and  played 
like  the  harp.  The  drum  is  struck  with  the  hand 
and  fingers,  and  the  various  bamboo  wind  instru- 
ments are  played  like  a flute.  The  music  is  rather 
sad  and  monotonous,  but  by  no  means  unpleasant. 

In  drawing,  painting,  sculpture,  and  astronomy, 
the  Javanese  of  the  present  day  show  little  in- 
terest or  proficiency.  They  are  not  deficient  in 
proper  ideas  nor  insensible  to  pleasing  propor- 
tions, and  can  copy  an  original  fairly  well,  but 
they  seem  indifEerent  to  knowledge  in  these  direc- 
tions. The  vast  and  magnificent  ruins  sprinkled 
over  Java  bear  testimony  to  grand  conceptions 
and  perfect  execution  in  some  of  the  arts,  espe- 


142  JAVA  : THE  PEARL  OF  THE  EAST 

cially  in  sculpture  and  literature,  but  at  a period 
so  distant  that  it  is  impossible  to  decide  whether 
they  were  the  work  of  the  Javanese  themselves, 
or  of  artists  brought  perhaps  from  continental 
India. 

The  remains  of  these  wonderful  temples  and 
palaces  assure  us  that  Brahma,  Vishnu,  and  Bud- 
dha were  once  the  gods  of  the  people,  and  that 
the  Hindu  Empire  was  supreme.  AVith  the  de- 
struction of  the  latter  in  1475,  and  the  estab- 
lishment of  the  Mohammedan  religion,  great 
changes  came  in  ; and  if  the  arts  and  sciences 
were  known  to  any  extent  by  the  Javanese  them- 
selves, they  have  been  forgotten. 

They  are  quite  ignorant  of  astronomy,  and 
when  an  eclipse  of  the  sun  or  moon  occurs  they 
assemble  in  affrighted  groups,  w'atching  the  phe- 
nomenon, and  attributing  the  passing  shadow  to 
the  visible  anger  of  an  insulted  God.  In  some 
districts  the  common  people  suppose  the  invading 
planet  to  be  a great  monster  about  to  swallow  the 
sun  or  moon,  as  it  may  be,  and  shout,  and  pound 
on  their  tom-toms,  to  make  a terrific  noise  and 
scare  him  off.  They  di\fide  their  year  into  twelve 
seasons,  determined  by  the  course  of  the  sun,  and 
carefully  observed  upon  account  of  the  planting. 
Their  w'eek  consists  of  five  days,  each  day  and 
night  divided  into  five  portions,  distinguished  by 
a special  name.  They  compute  their  time  by  the 
Arab  year,  but  retain  the  date  of  their  own  era. 


THE  LANGUAGE 


143 


or  the  era  of  Aji  Saka,  instead  of  that  of  the 
Hegira.  Aji  Saka  was  the  name  of  a great  re- 
former, who  appeared  in  Java  seventy-four  years 
after  the  birth  of  Christ,  and  the  Javanese  date 
their  era  from  the  arrival  of  this  prince. 


CHAPTER  XXVI. 


ANCIENT  TEMPLES  AND  PALACES. 

To  attempt  a description  of  the  superb  archi- 
tectural ruins  and  the  myriads  of  fragmentary  trea- 
sures in  sculptural  art  and  design,  that  bespeak  a 
high  antiquity  for  Java,  would  be  a quite  impos- 
sible task.  In  the  vicinity  of  former  cities,  the 
grounds  are  literally  strewn  with  broken  arch, 
dilapidated  column,  and  decaying  statuary,  giving 
ample  evidence  of  the  vast  and  magnificent  struc- 
tures of  which  they  were  once  a part. 

V ery  little  that  can  be  deemed  reliable  is  known 
as  to  who  worshiped  in  these  gorgeous  temples 
and  dwelt  in  these  spacious  palaces,  or  by  whom 
they  were  designed,  or  constructed.  That  the 
people  were  not  only  civilized  but  highly  culti- 
vated is  clearly  proven  by  the  memorials  they 
have  left  behind.  On  what  part  of  the  globe 
this  ancient  race  first  had  its  birth,  where  it 
learned  the  cunning  devdce  of  chisel  and  hammer, 
or  from  whom  it  received  the  inspiration  so  ele- 
gantly wrought  in  metal  and  stone,  is  left  to  tradi- 
tion and  conjecture  to  determine.  AVe  have  the 
evidences  of  Hindu  worship,  but  for  aught  else 
we  can  only  gaze  upon  the  crumbling  monuments 


ANCIENT  TEMPLES  AND  PALACES  145 

of  their  wealth  and  magnificence  in  wonder  and 
amazement,  and  deplore  the  absence  of  history  to 
describe  the  people  and  the  remote  period  which 
produced  them.  The  Javanese  of  to-day  cannot 
tell  us  anything.  The  broken  images,  the  fallen 
idols,  the  ancient  deities  and  sculptured  inscrip- 
tions, are  to  them  as  tales  of  fiction.  The  story 
they  relate  is  wonderful,  — too  wonderful,  — and 
there  they  stop. 

For  centuries  the  Javanese  have  been  Moham- 
medans, and  have  consequently  regarded  with  dis- 
taste all  vestiges  of  idol-worship.  As  the  ages 
rolled  away,  this  sentiment  led  to  indifference  and 
ignorance,  superseded  by  wonder  and  awe.  The 
stupendous  temples  appeared  to  them  not  made 
with  hands,  and,  being  by  nature  superstitioiis, 
they  avoided  the  relics  and  symbols  which  seemed 
to  proclaim  supernatural  work,  and  allowed  their 
beautiful  treasures  to  become  lost  to  sight,  — hid- 
den and  buried,  as  it  might  happen,  in  the  dense 
and  luxuriant  growths  of  the  country. 

These  ancient  ruins  are  thickly  strewn  through- 
out whole  districts  in  the  interior  of  Java.  They 
spread  over  the  plains,  sprinkle  the  forests,  and 
climb  the  mountain  sides,  especially  in  the  Dieng 
mountains,  where  the  extensive  remains  of  de- 
molished structures,  in  the  shape  of  broken  walls, 
dilapidated  steps,  crumbling  porticoes,  deposed 
idols,  and  beautiful  specimens  of  sculpture,  crown 
the  hills  and  cover  the  declivities  nearly  to  the 
highest  summits. 


146  JAVA:‘THE  PEARL  OF  THE  EAST 


One  of  these  elevations,  which  is  by  no  means 
extraordinary,  in  view  of  others  in  the  neighbor- 
hood, is  particularly  noticeable.  It  slopes  upward 
to  an  immense  platform  or  plain,  some  six  or 
seven  hundred  feet  above  the  surrounding  country 
which  is  covered  with  the  debris  of  temples,  and 
perhaps  palaces,  that  must  once  have  been  counted 
by  hundreds.  This  tableland  is  reached  on  its 
four  sides  by  flights  of  stone  steps,  much  dilapi- 
dated, but  still  of  assistance  in  gaining  the  high 
level.  An  extinct  crater  and  masses  of  rock  and 
lava  seem  to  indicate  an  eruj^tion,  with  a con- 
cussion. perhaps,  which  has  broken  the  steps. 
The  walls  of  some  of  these  structures  on  the 
plain  were  built  of  smooth  blocks  of  stone,  and 
were  about  ten  feet  thick,  sometimes  inclosing 
one  large  square  chamber,  with  a high  stone  roof 
arched  to  a point.  Broken  pieces  of  sculpture, 
images,  decaying  Hindu  gods,  and  decapitated 
statuary  not  only  cover  the  plain,  but  abound  in 
every  direction  in  this  part  of  Java,  showing 
how  extensive  and  numerous  were  the  temples 
and  edifices  they  once  adorned. 

The  country  between  Djokjokarta  and  Soera- 
karta  is  famous  for  its  remnants  of  ancient 
edifices  and  relics  of  Hindu  worship.  In  the 
neighborhood  of  Brambanan,  a town  on  the  road 
between  the  two  last-named  cities,  stand  the  ex- 
tensive ruins  of  an  ancient  temple,  which  is  one 
of  the  many  in  the  immediate  vicinity  that  would 


ANCIENT  TEMPLES  AND  PALACES  147 

amply  repay  the  traveler’s  attention.  Although 
the  walls,  some  twelve  feet  thick,  are  broken,  the 
massive  blocks  and  figure^  thrown  down,  and  the 
great  rooms  dismantled  and  fiUed  with  rubbish, 
enough  remains  to  show  the  magnitude  of  the 
temple,  the  size  of  its  doors,  the  character  of  its 
apartments,  the  number  of  its  figures,  and  the  su- 
perior execution  of  its  stone  lions  and  elephants. 
The  giant  figures  of  its  porters  guard  the  doors, 
in  crumbling  dress,  with  bracelets,  beads,  ear-rings, 
plaited  hair,  waistbands,  and  daggers  still  clearly 
defined ; even  the  expression  of  their  features 
can  be  detected.  They  have  broad  heads,  wide, 
full  foreheads,  and  short,  square  chins,  round, 
full,  staring  eyes,  thick  lips,  and  open  mouth, 
revealing  large,  long  teeth,  the  whole  wearing  a 
mirthfvd  and  pleased  look.  The  \falls  are  com- 
posed of  smooth  blocks  of  stone,  put  together 
without  cement  or  mortar,  and  dislodged  in  many 
places  by  trees  having  forced  their  growth  be- 
tween them. 

Within  a short  distance  of  this  ruin  is  another, 
or  rather  a group  of  ruins,  consisting  of  some 
twenty  or  more  separate  edifices,  each  furnishing 
evidences  of  having  been  a temple.  The  rooms 
are  spacious,  the  buildings  apparently  having  been 
large  and  lofty,  with  terraces  and  niches  contain- 
ing lions  couchant,  and  pilasters  supporting  bands 
of  stone,  some  of  which  are  carved  in  beautifid 
running  designs  and  festoons,  encircling  birds 


148  JAVA;  THE  PEARL  OF  THE  EAST 


with  wings  outspread.  In  one  instance  a string 
of  monkeys  is  represented  in  a wood,  which  might 
indicate  the  worship  gf  Hanuman,  the  monkey 
god.  In  every  case  the  sculptures  display  beauty 
and  fine  workmanship.  Some  of  the  stone  blocks 
are  immense  in  size,  and,  like  those  in  the  other 
temples,  shaped  with  perfect  precision,  and  put 
together  without  cement  of  any  kind.  Lions, 
elephants,  and  the  lotus  flower  were  present  in  the 
decorations.  A portion  of  the  god  Genesa  shows 
that  he  was  also  represented.  There  is  no  other 
indication,  however,  that  the  temple  was  devoted 
to  the  mighty  son  of  Siva. 

Leaving  these  ruins,  we  make  our  way  north  of 
the  town  of  Brambanan  to  another  cluster  of  an- 
cient structures,  the  temple  Loro  Jongrong,  which 
is  the  Javanese  name  of  the  Hindu  god  Devi. 
This  temple  appears  to  consist  of  one  large  build- 
ing, now  in  ruins,  connected  with  several  smaller 
ones.  After  scaling  a mound  of  stones  and  rub- 
bish, we  reach  an  entrance  with  an  image  of 
Loro  Jongrong,  in  good  preservation,  and  her  buf- 
falo, still  smooth  and  polished,  lying  before  her. 
Genesa  sits  on  a polished  throne  in  front  of  an 
entrance  on  the  other  side,  the  stones  of  the  in- 
termediate corner  being  covered  with  beautiful 
designs  of  running  flowers  and  foliage,  also  small 
human  figures,  and  other  decorations  of  the  same 
character,  producing  an  effect  w^ouderfully  rich 
and  striking.  The  god  is  in  full  dress  and  elabo- 


ANCIENT  TEMPLES  AND  PALACES  149 


rately  decorated  ; a hooded  snake  is  wound  round 
his  body. 

Close  to  the  high  road  and  about  half  a mile 
from  the  Loro  Jongrong  is  another  ancient  pile, 
known  as  the  Thousand  Temples,  beside  which 
those  that  we  have  seen  sink  into  insignificance. 
It  consists  of  two  hundred  and  ninety-six  temples, 
which  cover  a space  said  to  measure  five  hundred 
and  forty-five  feet  by  five  hundred  and  ten  feet. 
The  buildings  are  arranged  in  five  parallelograms, 
one  within  the  other.  The  outer  square  comprises 
eighty-four  temples,  twenty-two  on  each  front  and 
twenty  on  the  sides.  The  next  square  has  seventy- 
six,  the  third  forty-four,  the  fifth  and  central 
twenty-eight.  The  temples  are  alike  in  size  and 
construction,  each  being  about  eleven  or  twelve 
feet  square  on  the  outside,  with  a vestibule  and 
door  opening  into  a small  square  room.  Op- 
posite the  door  is  the  throne  of  the  idol  which 
once  occupied  the  apartment.  The  walls  of  each 
temple  are  nearly  three  feet  thick,  and  are  smooth 
and  square  to  about  seven  feet  in  height,  when 
they  begin  to  slope  into  a pyramidal  roof,  with 
square  top  covered  by  a single  stone.  The  whole 
structure  forms  an  immense  pyramid,  each  paral- 
lelogram receding  and  apparently  making  one  of 
five  gigantic  steps.  The  roofs  are  plain,  -with  run- 
ning bands  that  form  a sort  of  crest  to  each  square 
or  step.  Two  huge  and  hideous  porters  guard 
the  principal  entrance,  with  raised  clubs,  warning 


150  JAVA:  THE  PEABL  OF  THE  EAST 


awa}”^  unlicensed  intruders.  Each  has  a ferocious 
mustache  and  long  curling  hair,  with  chains  and 
snakes  twisting  diagonally  over  his  body  and 
shoulders  and  about  his  arms.  Both  wear  ear- 
rings, necklaces,  and  bracelets.  A pair  of  more 
formidable  or  repulsive  custodians  could  not  be 
imagined.  Streets  or  spaces  about  twelve  feet 
wide  rim  around  the  squares  between  the  rows  of 
temples.  The  innermost  square  was  the  great 
temple,  or  principal  shrine.  The  walls  of  this 
building  are  five  or  six  feet  thick,  with  a terrace 
surrounding  it,  reached  on  each  side  by  flights  of 
dilapidated  stone  steps.  Kiches,  vestibules,  fig- 
ures of  animals  and  gods,  are  abundant  and 
conspicuous  in  each  temple,  the  gods  alone  num- 
bering thirty-four  hundred  and  seventy-eight.  All 
are  light,  chaste,  and, graceful,  exhibiting  many 
superb  specimens  of  Hindu  sculpture  and  archi- 
tecture. Each  single  building  forms  a small 
pyramid.  They  are  aU  in  a more  or  less  decayed 
and  falling  condition,  and  some  are  down  and 
quite  concealed  in  the  dense  shrubbery.  A spread- 
ing banyan-tree  has  helped  the  work  of  destruction, 
by  forcing  its  trunks  through  the  walls,  and  then 
covering  them  with  its  branches. 

The  holy  of  holies  is  in  the  interior  temple,  and 
is  reached  by  ascending  the  steps  to  a superb  por- 
tal, which  gives  entrance  to  a wide  passage  through 
the  walls,  which  are  ten  feet  thick,  of  solid  blocks 
of  gray  stone,  closely  joined  together  without 


ANCIENT  TEMPLES  AND  PALACES  151 

cement.  The  inside  of  the  chamber  is  a plain 
square,  the  walls  rising  some  forty  feet  before 
assuming  the  pyramidal  form,  with  overhanging 
stones  sloping  to  the  apex  of  the  roof,  where  a 
small  opening  is  covered,  as  usual,  with  one  broad 
stone.  A raised  platform,  probably  the  throne  of 
the  principal  divinity,  extends  across  one  side  of 
the  chamber ; but  there  is  nothing  to  indicate 
which  one  of  the  Hindu  gods  it  was  that  filled 
the  place  of  honor.  Although  the  inside  walls  of 
this  great  chamber  are  perfectly  plain,  the  ex- 
terior walls  are  decorated  with  a profusion  of  or- 
namental sculptures ; but  there  are  no  niches  hold- 
ing images  or  anything  emblematical,  as  in  the 
smaller  temples,  each  of  which  is  supplied  with 
thirteen  niches,  containing  figures  from  heathen 
mythology. 

As  the  traveler  proceeds  towards  Djokjokarta, 
the  ruins  of  ancient  edifices  come  into  view  on 
every  side,  some  of  them  the  mouldy  sites  of 
ancient  temples,  others  pei’haps  of  palaces.  One 
especially  strikes  the  eye.  Great  skill,  labor,  and 
patience  are  displayed  in  this  monument  of  hea- 
then splendor,  which  looks  more  like  the  residence 
of  an  ancient  Rajah  than  a temple  of  Hindu  wor- 
ship. Its  exterior  is  profusely  decorated  with 
delicate  and  beautiful  sculpture,  better  suited  to 
the  inside  of  a rich  and  handsome  apartment  than 
to  the  outside  walls  of  a building. 

Before  reaching  the  capital,  the  crumbling 


152  JAVA:  THE  PEARL  OF  THE  EAST 


structures  and  heaps  of  debris,  indicating  decay- 
ing ruins,  become  so  numerous  that  they  cease 
to  excite  surprise;  therefore,  leaving  them,  as  well 
as  the  many  other  old  emblems  of  wealth  and 
grandeur  that  particularly  distinguish  the  country 
adjacent  to  the  great  capital  of  the  ancient  Mo- 
djopahit,  we  shall  make  a gigantic  leap  westward 
into  the  province  of  Kadoe,  and  inspect  the  vast 
and  magnificent  temple  of  Boro  Bodo. 

This  wonderful  structure,  which  is  supposed  to 
have  been  built  either  in  the  sixth  or  tenth  cen- 
tury of  the  Javan  era,  and  is  the  largest  and  most 
elaborate  Hindu  temple  in  the  world,  covers  the 
crown  of  a hiU,  and  presents  a square  pyramidal 
building  of  stone,  consisting  of  seven  receding 
ranges  of  walls  and  terraces,  terminating  in  an  im- 
mense dome.  A triple  row  of  seventy-two  towers 
encircles  the  dome,  each  tower  occupied  by  a 
figure.  Superbly  sculptured  walls  support  the 
terraces  which  run  around  the  hill  itself,  each 
wall  surmounted  by  a parapet  carved  on  both 
the  interior  and  exterior  sides.  Niches,  at  short 
intervals,  each  containing  a huge  naked  figiire 
sitting  cross-legged,  break  the  uniformity.  Small 
spires  surround  the  niches,  and  also  dot  the  top  of 
the  parapets  at  regular  distances.  The  number  of 
niches  containing  figures  is  nearly  four  hundred. 
The  sculptural  designs  and  architectural  orna- 
ments are  profuse,  and  are  beautifully  wrought ; 
if  placed  in  a straight  line  they  would  reach  a dis- 
tance of  five  miles. 


ANCIENT  TEMPLES  AND  PALACES  153 

The  whole  building  is  decorated  with  bas-re- 
liefs, and  extends  over  six  hundred  feet  each  way. 
Handsome  gateways  lead  to  the  successive  ter- 
races, the  conical  shape  of  the  hill  seeming  to  fill 
the  interior  of  the  temple.  The  image  of  Brahma 
is  said  to  have  been  found  near  the  temple  of 
Boro  Bodo,  hut,  as  iu  the  case  of  many  others, 
there  is  no  certainty  as  to  whether  the  edifice  was 
devoted  to  the  worship  of  Buddha  or  Brahma  ; 
several  interesting  ruins  in  the  vicinity,  however, 
clearly  indicate  the  worship  of  at  least  one  mem- 
ber of  the  Hindu  trinity.  To  describe  the  relics 
of  antiquity  in  Java  would  fill  a large  volume, 
therefore,  as  with  many  other  interesting  subjects 
belonging  to  this  unique  island,  want  of  space 
compels  us  to  leave  them  with  this  brief  notice. 


CHAPTER  XXVII. 


EARLY  INHABITANTS. 

According  to  a wTitten  tradition,  the  first  in- 
habitants of  Java  were  supposed  to  have  been  a 
people  that  were  banished  in  remote  ages  from 
Eg\’pt,  and,  sailing  along  the  southern  coasts, 
came  to  what  is  now  known  as  the  East  Indian 
Archipelago,  but  was  at  that  time  a part  of  the 
unbroken  continent  of  Asia,  since  divided  by 
some  terrible  convulsion  of  nature  into  the  numer- 
ous islands  composing  the  above-named  division. 
These  people,  as  described,  were  rude,  wandering 
tribes,  consisting  of  individuals  possessing  vari- 
ous religious  beliefs  and  forms  of  worship,  which 
they  set  up  in  the  land  where  they  at  last  found 
a home.  Some  of  them  worshiped  the  sun,  some 
the  moon,  others  different  inanimate  objects  in 
nature.  They  had  no  form  of  government,  the 
great  respect  and  obedience  that  they  cherished 
for  the  counsels  of  old  age  making  the  oldest 
man  in  the  tribe  or  community  their  chief,  whose 
judgment  controlled  their  movements  and  ap- 
pointed the  times  for  moving  from  one  place  to 
another,  and  was  governed  by  the  gyrations  and 
flight  of  a bird,  supposed  to  be  a crow  or  raven. 


EARLY  INHABITANTS 


155 


The  same  custom  is  still  followed  by  some  of  the 
savage  tribes  in  Borneo.  These  immigrants  seem 
to  have  been  an  agricultural  people,  as  the  record 
states  that  when  it  was  necessary  to  move  to  new 
localities,  the  crops  were  gathered,  sacrifices  made, 
and  feasts  given  on  the  plains,  from  which  the 
participators  retired,  lea\dng  the  remnants  for  the 
bird.  If,  after  partaking  thereof,  it  flew  in  the 
direction  in  which  they  wished  to  go,  a young 
animal  was  offered  to  the  deity,  a second  feast 
was  enjoyed,  and  the  community  set  out  with 
music,  shouting,  and  other  demonstrations  of  joy. 
If,  however,  the  bird  hovered  over  the  plain,  or 
circled  around  in  the  air,  or  sat  on  a tree,  or  flew 
in  a direction  opposite  to  the  one  they  proposed 
to  take,  they  repeated  their  prayers  and  renewed 
the  sacrifices,  and  waited  till  the  favorable  omen 
was  bestowed. 

Another  traditional  account  referring  to  Java, 
and  related  by  a very  ancient  author,  reads  as 
follows : — 

“ The  first  inhabitants  were  Siamese,  who, 
about  the  year  800  of  the  Christian  era,  on  their 
passage  from  Siam  to  Macassar,  were  driven  by 
a great  storm  on  the  island.  Their  junk  being 
wrecked,  they  escaped  in  their  boat  and  arrived 
at  Java,  until  that  period  undiscovered,  but 
which,  on  account  of  its  size  and  fertility,  was  im- 
mediately peopled  by  Passara,  son  of  the  king  of 
Siam  ; and  the  city  of  Passaran,  called  after  his 


156  JAVA:  THE  PEABL  OF  THE  EAST 


own  name,  was  founded  at  a very  good  seaport, 
and  was  the  first  settlement  on  the  island.” 

A third  record  is  foimd  in  ancient  Javanese 
literature,  which  has  been  translated  thus  : — 

“ Praboe  Java  Baya  was  a great  and  powerful 
ruler  of  Astina,  and  the  fifth  in  descent  from 
Arjuna,  the  son  of  Pandoe  Dewa  Xata  ; after 
whom  had  reigned  successively  Bimanyoe,  Para- 
kisit,  Oedayana,  and  Gandra  Yana.  His  chief 
minister,  being  a man  of  great  enterprise  and 
ability,  was  sent  to  visit  and  civilize  foreign  coun- 
tries. In  the  course  of  his  travels,  he  landed  on 
Java,  then  the  abode  of  a race  of  Kasaka,  and 
known  by  the  name  of  Noesa  Kendang.  This 
happened  in  the  first  year  of  the  J avan  era,  and 
is  distinguished  in  the  Chandra  Sangkala  by  the 
words  ‘ nir,  abu,  tampo,  jaler ; ’ meaning,  literally, 

‘ nothing,  dust,  not  anything  [but]  man,’  and 
metaphorically,  the  figures  0001. 

“ He  here  discovered  the  grain  called  ‘ jawa- 
woet,’  at  that  time  the  principal  subsistence  of  the 
inhabitants  ; and  in  consequence  of  this  discov- 
ery he  changed  the  name  of  the  country  from 
Noesa  Kendang  to  Noesa  Jawa.  In  his  progress 
through  the  island  he  met  with  the  dead  bodies  of 
two  Kasaka,  each  holding  a leaf  with  an  inscrip- 
tion on  it,  one  in  ancient,  the  other  in  Siamese 
characters  ; these  he  united,  and  formed  the  Javan 
alphabet  of  twenty  letters. 

“ He  had  several  combats  with  the  Kasaka, 


EARLY  INHABITANTS 


157 


particularly  with  one  Dewata  Chengkar ; and 
after  fixing  the  date  of  his  different  discoveries, 
and  leaving:  mementoes  of  his  visit  wherever  he 
went,  he  finally  returned  to  Astina,  and  delivered 
a written  account  of  all  he  had  seen  and  tlone.” 

This  traveler  is  su^jposed  to  have  been  Aji 
Saka,  who,  it  appears,  found  the  island  inhabited, 
and  from  whose  alleged  arrival  the  Javanese  date 
their  fii'st  era,  which  corresponds  with  the  seventy- 
fifth  year,  though  some  chroniclers  have  put  it  the 
seventy-fourth,  of  the  Christian  era.  Aji  Saka 
is  represented  by  some  as  having  been  a great  and 
powerfid  sovereign,  who  established  the  flourish- 
ing colony  of  Java ; other  accounts  speak  of  him 
as  a deity  who  sailed  over  land  and  seas  to  get  to 
Java.  It  is  averred,  however,  that  he  was  the 
first  to  introduce  regular  government  and  civili- 
zation. The  Javan  era  is  said  by  some  to  have 
commenced  with  his  death. 

Setting  aside  tradition  and  the  ancient  mytho- 
logical history  of  Java,  we  may  be  fairly  justified 
in  regarding  the  statements  of  ancient  manu- 
scripts found  in  eastern  Java  as  a more  or  less 
reliable  record  of  actual  dates  and  events.  These 
last  accounts  relate  that  at  about  the  period  when 
the  government  was  transferred  to  Pajajaran,  a 
Brahmin  named  Tritristra  landed  on  Java,  with 
munerous  followers,  introduced  religion  and  art 
and  established  the  era,  and  is  therefore  regarded 
as  identical  with  Aji  Saka.  The  line  of  Hindu 


158  JAVA:  THE  PEARL  OF  THE  EAST 


sovereigns,  dating  from  that  event  to  the  destruc- 
tion of  the  Hindu  Empire  at  Modjopahit,  on  the 
conquest  of  the  Mohammedans,  extends  over  a 
period  of  fourteen  hundred  years,  ending  1475  of 
the  Christian  era,  and  numbers  thirty-eight  princes 
who  reigned  successively  in  Java  and  the  adjoin- 
ing islands.  Other  records,  which  attempt  to  draw 
a distinguishing  line  between  the  Hindu  princes 
and  the  Javanese  sovereigns,  put  the  accession  of 
the  latter  five  centuries  later. 

Of  the  high  culture,  advance,  and  civilization 
of  ancient  Java,  however,  we  have  ample  evidence 
in  the  stupendous  ruins  and  multitudinous  relics 
of  refined  art  to  be  seen  in  the  decaying  remains 
of  the  cities,  palaces,  and  temples  in  the  neigh- 
borhood of  Brambanan,  to  the  construction  of 
which  different  dates  have  been  ascribed,  and 
which  settle  without  question  the  existence  of  the 
worship  of  the  Hindu  religion  in  the  early  and 
obscure  periods  of  Javanese  history. 


CHAPTER  XXVIII. 


INTRODUCTION  OF  MOHAMMEDANISM. 

Omitting  the  records  of  many  centuries  relat- 
ing to  the  reigns  and  successions  of  the  Hindu 
princes,  which  give  a much  greater  antiquity  to 
Java  than  has  been  supposed,  we  reach  the  reign 
of  Dewa  Kasoema,  who  is  said  to  have  established 
the  kingdom  of  Jang’gala,  and  built  its  capital 
about  the  year  846.  Its  ancient  site  is  still  to  be 
seen  in  the  forests  near  the  modern  city  of  Soera- 
baja. 

It  is  related  of  Dewa  Kasoema  that  he  sent  his 
four  sons  and  one  daughter  to  India,  to  be  in- 
structed in  the  worship  of  Brahma,  and  when 
they  returned  he  divided  his  kingdom  among  his 
sons ; consequently,  at  his  death,  J ava  was  sepa- 
rated into  four  sovereignties.  Panji,  the  grand- 
son of  this  prince,  became  the  favorite  hero  of 
a celebrated  Javanese  romance,  which  furnishes 
characters  for  one  of  the  most  popular  dramatic 
performances  of  the  country.  The  Javanese  still 
revere  his  memory,  and  with  pride  allege  that  he 
introduced  the  w'earing  of  the  kris  into  aU  the 
countries  over  wliich  he  reigned,  and  that  these 
are  now  determined  by  the  inhabitants  wearing 
that  weapon  thrust  into  the  belt  behind. 


160  JAVA:  THE  PEARL  OF  THE  EAST 

Leaving  out  the  heroic  deeds  and  marvelous 
enterprises  of  Panji,  as  related  in  Malayan  ro- 
mance, also  the  reigms  of  other  princes,  we  come 
to  the  tenth  century  and  the  reign  of  his  descend- 
ant, Koeda  Lalean,  who,  it  is  stated,  built  a city, 
and  gave  it  the  name  of  Pajajaran.  He  had  two 
sons,  the  younger  of  whom  succeeded  him  in  the 
year  1037,  since  the  elder  son  had  not  returned 
from  foreign  tours,  upon  which  he  had  departed 
before  his  father’s  death.  Seven  years  after  the 
latter  event,  this  son,  accompanied  by  an  Arab 
descended  from  Said  Abas,  returned,  with  the 
title  of  Haji  Poerwa,  from  a residence  in  India, 
where  he  had  become  a convert  to  the  religion  of 
IMohammed.  The  return,  and  the  attempts  of 
Haji  Poerwa  and  his  companion  to  proselytize 
his  brother,  the  pagan  king,  were  the  supposed 
introduction  of  the  Mohammedan  religion  upon 
the  island  of  Java. 

The  next  Prince  of  Pajajaran  had  a son,  the 
circumstances  of  whose  birth  seemed  to  foretell 
the  fulfillment  of  avenging  predictions  made  by  a 
devotee  whom  the  prince  had  unjustly  executed. 
To  prevent  the  accomplishment  of  this  prophecy, 
he  decided  to  destroy  the  child.  His  project  was 
defeated,  however,  and  the  boy  grew  uj)  unknown 
to  his  parent.  Arriving  at  maturity,  the  j’outh 
contrived  the  destruction  of  his  father,  thus  ful- 
filling the  prognostications  of  the  devotee,  and  as- 
sumed the  reins  of  government,  which  brought  on 


lyTRODUCTIOX  OF  MOHAmiEDAX ISM  161 

a war  between  him  and  his  brother,  Eaden  Tan- 
doeran,  resulting  in  the  defeat  and  escape  of  the 
latter.  Eaden  Tandoeran,  wandering  with  two 
or  three  followers  on  the  mountain  of  Cheribon, 
met  his  sister  there,  doing  a penance.  Advised 
and  encouraged  by  her,  he  followed  the  course  of 
a bird,  which  she  released  for  the  purpose,  east- 
ward into  the  district  of  Wirasaba.  Here,  wish- 
ing to  eat  of  the  fruit  of  a vine  called  “ modjo,” 
and  finding  it  bitter,  he  threw  it  away,  inquiring 
of  Kiai  Wira,  one  of  his  followers,  the  reason  of 
its  excessive  bitterness. 

“ 1 have  heard,”  returned  Kiai  Wira,  “ that  it 
was  here  your  forefathers  fought  in  the  war  Brata 
Yoedha ; ” on  which  the  prince  replied,  “ Then 
let  us  stay  here  and  establish  our  kingdom,  and 
let  us  call  it  Modjo-pahit,”  — literally,  the  bitter 
modjo.  This  was  in  the  year  1146  A.  D.,  and  was 
the  first  establishment  of  what  afterwards  became 
the  powerful  empire  of  Modjopahit. 

We  wiU  pass  over  the  dissensions  and  succeed- 
ing wars  between  the  two  brothers  and  their  re- 
spective adherents,  terminating  in  a mutual  agree- 
ment to  separate  the  two  kingdoms  of  Pajajaran 
and  Modjopahit,  wdth  the  successive  reigns,  con- 
tinued triumphs,  and  undisputed  establishment  of 
the  last-named  empire.  According  to  the  annals, 
the  kingdom  of  Modjopahit  increased  in  power 
and  splendor  till  it  reached  the  highest  pinnacle 
of  national  glory,  and  gained  undisputed  sover- 


162  JAVA:  THE  PEARL  OF  THE  EAST 

eignty  over  the  whole  of  Java,  the  surrounding 
islands,  and  part  of  Sumatra.  Her  last  sovereign 
was  Angka  Wijaya,  who  succeeded  his  father,  Alit 
Wijaya,  fifth  prince  of  Modjopaliit. 

During  the  reign  of  this  monarch,  and  in  the 
latter  half  of  the  fourteenth  century,  a second  at- 
tempt to  establish  the  Mohammedan  faith  in  east 
Java  appears  to  have  been  made  at  Gresik,  the 
account  of  which  has  been  translated  as  follows  : 

“ Moelana  Ibraliim,  a celebrated  Pandita  from 
Arabia,  descended  from  Jenal  Abidin,  and  cousin 
to  the  Rajah  of  Chermen  (a  country  of  Sebrang), 
had  established  himself  with  other  Mohammedans 
at  Desa  Seran,  in  Jang’gala,  when  the  Rajah  of 
Chermen  arrived  at  Java.  This  prince,  who  was 
a Mohammedan,  perceiving  with  regret  that  the 
inhabitants  of  the  large  and  populous  island  of 
Java  were  still  heathens,  resolved  to  attempt  the 
conversion  of  the  King  of  Modjopaliit,  Prabu 
Angka  Wijaya,  and,  ivith  this  view,  to  present 
him  his  maiden  daughter  in  marriage.  Embark- 
ing with  his  daughter  and  all  his  relatives  and 
followers  of  every  description,  he  reached  Jang’- 
gala in  safety,  and  landing  at  the  Desa  Seran, 
he  immediately  built  a mosque  there,  and  in  a 
short  time  succeeded  in  obtaining  many  converts.” 
Moelana  Ibrahim  died  in  1408.  His  tomb,  known 
by  the  name  of  Gapoera  Wetan,  is  still  to  be  seen. 

The  next  missionary  described  as  doing  special 
religious  work  in  Java  is  Raden  Rachmat. 


CHAPTER  XXIX. 


THE  FALL  OF  MODJOPAHIT. 

Passing  over  the  many  interesting  details  con- 
nected with  the  reign  of  Angka  Wijaya,  concern- 
ing the  increasing  prosperity  and  extension  of 
his  powerful  kingdom,  we  will  follow  that  part 
of  his  history  which  relates  to  the  overthrow  of 
his  empire  and  its  final  conquest  by  the  Moham- 
medans. 

Angka  Wijaya,  hearing  in  the  beginning  of  his 
reign  of  the  beauty  of  a princess  of  Champa, 
dispatched  an  embassy  to  that  country  with  a de- 
mand for  her  hand  in  marriage.  Previous  to  this, 
her  father,  the  Rajah  of  Champa,  had  given  his 
eldest  daughter  in  marriage  to  an  Arab  priest, 
whose  name  was  Rachmat.  When  the  foreign 
princess  arx'ived,  she  found  her  admirer  had  al- 
ready one  consort  in  a Chinese  princess  of  great 
beauty,  who  had  been  sent  to  him  as  a present 
fi’om  a chief  in  China. 

The  princess  of  Champa  continuing  to  show 
her  displeasure,  her  husband  at  last  determined 
to  dispose  of  his  Chinese  beauty  by  giving  her 
to  his  illegitimate  son.  Aria  Damar,  who,  having 
gained  the  approbation  of  his  father  by  his  brav- 


164  JAVA:  THE  PEABL  OF  THE  EAST 

ery  and  success  in  war,  had  received  the  title  of 
Adipati,  and  had  been  appointed  chief  of  Palem- 
bang,  on  the  coast  of  Sumatra.  Aria  Damar  pro- 
ceeded thither  with  the  Chinese  princess  and  sev- 
eral hundred  troops,  and  had  not  been  there  long 
when  he  received  a visit  from  Raden  Raehmat, 
the  son  of  the  Arab  priest  and  the  eldest  prin- 
cess of  Champa,  who,  having  been  carefully  in- 
structed in  the  Mohammedan  faith,  was  on  his  way 
wdth  letters  and  presents  to  Modjopahit.  Arriv- 
ing at  the  capital,  he  was  kindly  welcomed  by 
Angka  Wijaya,  who,  soon  conceiving  a great 
attachment  for  him,  established  him  at  Ampel, 
wdth  rule  over  three  thousand  families.  The  sov- 
ereign, although  he  would  not  adopt  the  young 
priest’s  religion,  gave  the  latter  permission  to 
proselytize  as  much  as  he  pleased.  It  was  not 
long  before  Raden  Raehmat  had  won  the  confi- 
dence of  his  province,  and  the  people  gradually 
embraced  his  religion,  and  gave  him  the  title  of 
Soenan  of  Ampel,  which  title  eventually  became 
Soesoenan,  sometimes  Soesoehoenan,  a title  still 
retained  by  the  Javanese  sovereigns. 

The  arrival  of  another  Arab  missionary  at 
Gresik  is  described  as  follows : — 

“ Moelana  Ishak,  otherwise  called  Moelana 
Aloel  Islam  of  Pasi  Malaca,  a celebrated  Pandita, 
who  had  given  himself  up  to  penance  and  morti- 
fication, having  learned  that  there  was  at  Ampel, 
on  Java,  a prince  who  was  busily  employed  in 


THE  FALL  OF  MODJOFAHIT 


165 


propagating  the  Mohammedan  religion,  and  that 
many  persons  through  his  means  had  embraced 
the  faith,  went  over  and  assisted  Soesoenan  Mak- 
doem  in  the  work  of  conversion ; and  ha\dng  re- 
ceived his  sanction  to  go  to  Balambangam  for  the 
purpose  of  teaching  the  Mohammedan  religion, 
then  embarked  in  a prahoe,  and  set  out  on  the 
sacred  mission.” 

While  the  work  of  conversion  was  thus  ^oing 
forward  in  the  eastern  provinces,  it  was  advancing 
with  equal  success  in  the  western  provinces  under 
the  instruction  of  the  Sheik  Ibn  Moelana,  who 
had  established  himself  at  Cheribon  in  the  year 
1409  A.  D. ; and  his  abode  being  on  a wooded  hiU, 
he  was  known  as  the  Soesoenan  Goenoeng  Djati 
(messenger  of  God  on  the  mountain  of  teak). 
Healing  a woman  afflicted  with  leprosy,  hitherto 
regarded  incurable,  the  Sheik  acquired  the  repu- 
tation of  performing  miracles,  which  brought  such 
crowds  to  the  mountain  that  the  chiefs  deemed  it 
their  duty  to  interfere,  but  finding  the  numbers 
and  influences  too  powerful,  many  of  them  em- 
braced the  faith. 

In  the  mean  time,  mosques  were  erected  at  sev- 
eral places  by  various  powerful  Mohammedans, 
and  the  number  of  converts  steadily  increased. 
Modjopahit  had  now  reached  the  zenith  of  her 
glory ; her  authority  was  acknowledged  by  all  the 
surrounding  countries,  and  there  were  very  few  of 
the  eastern  isles  which  did  not  pay  tribute  to  her 


1G6  JAVA:  THE  PEARL  OF  THE  EAST 


extensive  dominions.  About  this  time,  the  sons 
of  Aria  Damar,  now  grown  up,  came  from  Palem- 
bang  to  Gresik,  and  with  them  their  half-brother, 
Raden  Pateh,  the  son  of  Angka  Wijaya,  born 
after  his  mother,  the  Chinese  princess,  had  been 
given  to  their  father.  Aria  Damar.  Raden  Pateh, 
becoming  aware  of  his  exti’action,  and  enraged 
at  the  treatment  his  mother  had  received,  refused 
to  proceed  to  the  splendid  capital,  and  remained 
with  the  Soenan  at  Ampel,  while  his  half-brother 
Hoesen  went  to  Modjopahit,  requested  not  to  say 
anything  about  Raden  Pateh.  Hoesen  met  with 
a gracious  reception,  and  was  soon  assigned  to  an 
important  command  of  troops. 

Raden  Pateh  married  the  granddaughter  of 
the  Soenan  at  Ampel,  and  removed  westward,  in 
accordance  ■ndth  instructions  he  had  received  to 
establish  himself  at  a place  where  lie  should  find 
the  sweet-scented  grass,  bintara.  This  he  discov- 
ered near  an  extensive  swamp  called  “ dama- 
lakan,”  where  he  founded  an  establishment,  first 
named  Bintara,  and  afterwards  Damak,  a contrac- 
tion of  the  word  “ dainalakan.” 

The  Prince  of  Modjopahit,  hearing  of  this  new 
settlement,  sent  Hoesen  to  destroy'  it,  unless  the 
chief  acknowledged  the  supremacy  of  Modjopahit. 
Hoesen  persuaded  Raden  Pateh  to  go  back  with 
him  to  the  capital,  where  he  was  recognized  by 
his  resemblance  to  his  father,  and  was  afterwards 
permitted  to  return  to  Bintara  with  the  title  of 


THE  FALL  OF  MODJOPAHIT 


1G7 


Adipati.  Instead  of  doing  so,  however,  he  went 
to  Ampel,  and  expressed  to  his  wife’s  relation  the 
rage  and  mortification  he  had  experienced  upon 
account  of  the  discovery  of  his  birth,  and  the  re- 
solve he  had  formed  to  destroy  Modjopahit. 

The  Soenan  tried  to  bring  him  to  submission, 
and  reminded  him  that  his  religion  did  not  per- 
mit him  to  make  war  upon  one  from  whom  he  had 
received  so  many  benefits,  and  Raden  Pateh  pro- 
ceeded to  Bintara,  where  he  continued  to  prosper 
and  make  converts.  His  anger  mollified,  he  com- 
menced the  building  of  a mosque,  which  work 
was  interrupted  by  the  illness  of  the  Soenan 
at  Ampel,  to  whose  bedside  Raden  Pateh,  accom- 
panied by  the  Mohammedan  chiefs,  immediately 
repaired.  The  Soenan  died,  and  the  Prince  of 
INIodjopahit  according  every  honor  to  his  funeral, 
Raden  Pateh  returned,  seemingly  satisfied,  to  Bin- 
tara, and,  assisted  by  eight  missionaries,  who  had 
each  assumed  the  title  of  Soenan,  completed  the 
mosque,  causing  it  to  be  constructed  with  eight 
pillars,  typical  of  the  eight  holy  men  who  had 
aided  in  its  erection.  This  was  in  the  year  1465. 

Raden  Pateh,  now  falling  in  with  advisers  less 
conscientious  than  the  departed  Soenan,  entered 
into  a confederacy  with  his  associate  missionaries 
to  exterminate  the  pagan  empire  of  Modjopahit. 

The  Mohammedans,  become  numerous  and  pow- 
erful, flocked  to  his  assistance,  except  Hoesen, 
who  remained  true  to  his  sovereign,  and  Raden 


168 


JAVA:  THE  PEARL  OF  THE  EAST 


Pateb  made  an  open  declaration  of  war.  The 
Mohammedan  army  marched  against  Modjopahit, 
but  was  kept  in  check  by  Hoesen,  wdio  com- 
manded the  forces  of  Modjopahit,  and  for  four 
years  managed  to  avoid  a general  engagement. 
This  long  delay  and  uncertainty  produced  dissat- 
isfaction. A decisive  movement  was  demanded, 
and  a battle  ensued,  wherein  the  Mohammedan 
chief  Soesoenan  Oendang  was  slain  and  his  army 
completely  routed.  Hoesen’s  affection  for  his 
half-brother  Raden  Patch  was  ascribed  as  the 
reason  why  he  failed  to  follow  up  this  advantage. 

The  Prince  of  Modjopahit  now  made  overtures 
to  Raden  Patch  by  inviting  him  to  the  capital, 
that  he  might  endeavor  by  kindly  offices  to  reduce 
him  to  obedience.  The  Patch  promised  compli- 
ance, but  made  illness  and  other  excuses  a reason 
for  deferring  his  visit.  His  province,  meanwhile, 
paying  the  usual  tribute,  deceived  the  prince  and 
averted  vengeance,  while  the  Raden  prepared  for 
another  attack. 

Depredations  in  other  parts  of  the  kingdom 
distracted  the  attention  of  Angka  Wijaya,  and 
rendered  him  insensible,  perhaps,  to  the  threaten- 
ing attitude  of  the  immediate  members  of  his 
own  family,  while  the  Mohammedans,  receiving 
strength  and  support  from  their  increasing  num- 
bers, concentrated  their  troops  at  Damak,  and 
made  ready  for  a second  onslaught  on  Modjopa- 
hit. Their  progress  is  thus  described ; — 


THE  FALL  OF  MODJOPAHIT 


169 


“ The  army  of  the  faithful,  highly  elated,  and 
determined  upon  the  downfall  of  paganism,  were 
met  by  the  united  forces  of  Modjopahit,  under 
Hoesen,  and  a severe  and  desperate  battle  took 
place,  which  lasted  for  seven  successive  days.  In 
this  protracted  engagement  the  former  were  at 
first  w'orsted ; but  the  commander,  Pangeran  Koe- 
das,  availing  himself  of  the  enchanted  box  and 
miracidous  weapons,  at  last  succeeded  in  driving 
the  enemy  before  him,  and  the  city  of  Modjopahit, 
surrounded  on  all  sides,  submitted  to  the  hostile 
forces.  The  prince  and  his  immediate  followers 
quitted  it  in  disorder  and  fled  to  the  eastward.” 

Thus  the  long  line  of  Hindu  kings  in  Java, 
numbering  thirty  - eight,  commencing  with  Aji 
Saka,  and  continuing  fourteen  hundred  years, 
was  suddenly  broken  by  the  power  of  a foreign 
religion,  and  their  rule  superseded  by  that  of  the 
Mohammedan  priests  ; and  Modjopahit,  famed  for 
her  wealth  and  splendor,  the  pride  and  glory  of 
the  Asiatic  isles,  was  in  the  course  of  two  years 
reduced  to  a wilderness. 

Hoesen  intrenched  himself  in  another  strong 
position,  but,  being  again  defeated  by  the  victori- 
ous Mohammedans,  he  made  terms  with  the  latter 
and  went  to  Damak,  where  he  was  kindly  received 
by  Eaden  Pateh,  who  was  there  established  as  sov- 
ereigm  of  Java  and  all  her  dependencies,  his  adher- 
ents having  invested  him  with  the  government 
under  the  title  of  Eaden  Pateh  Adipati  Jimboen. 


CHAPTER  XXX. 


ESTABLISHMENT  OF  THE  NEW  FAITH. 

Accol’NTS  differ  as  to  the  fate  of  the  sovereign 
of  Modjopahit  after  the  fall  of  his  empire.  By 
some  he  is  supposed  to  have  perished  in  a sub- 
sequent engagement,  and  there  are  also  accounts 
of  his  escape  to  the  island  of  Bali.  The  jMoham- 
medan  chief  of  Damak,  Eaden  Pateh,  after  reign- 
ing a few  years,  was  succeeded  in  1482  by  his  son 
as  Sultan  of  Damak,  who,  dying  in  two  years,  was 
followed  by  his  brother.  The  latter,  becoming 
the  third  Sultan  of  Damak  in  1484,  is  described 
as  having  been  a just  and  intelligent  ruler.  He 
made  treaties  of  peace  with  the  islands  and  de- 
pendencies that  had  revolted  after  the  fall  of 
Modjopahit,  established  tranquillity  in  his  own 
immediate  dominions,  and  saw'  his  religion  ac- 
cepted in  all  the  provinces  of  Java. 

During  the  reign  of  the  third  Sultan  of  Damak 
the  w'estern  provinces  were  ceded  to  Sheik  j\Ioe- 
lana  Ibraliim,  wdth  the  title  of  Sultan  of  Cheribon ; 
thus  diHding  Java  again  into  two  distinct  king- 
doms, each  sovereign  reserving  the  right  to  be- 
queath his  lands  to  his  children. 

Consequently,  when  the  Sultan  of  Cheribon 


ESTABLISHMENT  OF  THE  NEW  FAITH  171 

(lied,  in  1501,  his  sovereignty  was  divided  among 
his  three  sons.  The  eldest  succeeded  him  as  Sul- 
tan of  Cheribon ; the  second  received  the  king- 
dom of  Bantam.  The  kings  of  Bantam  were  de- 
scended from  this  prince.  The  middle  division 
between  Bantam  and  Cheribon  was  given  to  Kali 
Jotan,  who  established  his  capital  at  the  village  of 
Jokatra,  near  the  mouth  of  the  river  bearing  the 
same  name,  and  assumed  the  title  of  the  Rajah  of 
Jokatra.  The  princes  of  his  family,  called  Pan- 
geran  Jokatra,  reigned  here  till  they  were  expelled 
in  1619  by  the  Dutch,  who,  after  destrojdng  their 
city,  foimded  the  present  city  (also  called  Joka- 
tra) of  Batavia  on  its  ruins. 

The  third  Sultan  of  Damak  died  in  1534,  hav- 
ing divided  his  kingdom  among  his  five  sons  and 
sons-in  law,  each  with  a title  of  Raden,  Sultan,  or 
Soesoenan,  which,  with  the  three  previous  divi- 
sions, split  the  ancient  empire  into  eight  separate 
sovereignties.  Envy  and  ambition  soon  developed 
hatred  and  rivalry  among  the  different  princes, 
followed  by  dissensions,  wars,  depositions,  and 
continual  struggles  for  supremacy,  tiU  the  Dutch 
appeared,  and  obtaining  at  last  a conspicuous  con- 
trol in  the  government  of  the  island,  assisted  the 
Soesoenan  of  Mataram  in  restoring  a short  period 
of  tranquillity  to  the  country ; after  which,  the 
latter,  in  consequence  of  an  ancient  superstitious 
belief  of  the  Javanese,  that  a place  will  never 
prosper  when  misfortune  has  once  fallen  upon  it 


172  JAVA:  THE  PEABL  OF  THE  EAST 

and  extended  to  the  common  people,  moved  his 
seat  of  government  in  1668  from  Mataram  to 
Karta  Soera.  A succeeding  Soesoenan,  for  the 
same  reason,  removed  the  capital  to  Soerakarta, 
where  he  built  a palace,  which  has  since  remained 
the  residence  of  the  sovereigns  of  Java. 


CHAPTER  XXXI. 


USURPATION  BY  THE  DUTCH. 

When  the  Dutch  first  arrived  at  Bantam,  they 
entered  into  a contract  with  the  Javanese,  whereby 
each  agi-eed  to  act  fairly  and  honestly  by  the 
other,  and  render  mutual  assistance  against  an  en- 
emy. The  haughty  and  dictatorial  bearing  of  the 
strangers  soon  wrought  dissatisfaction,  and  a com- 
bat ensued  in  which  a hundred  or  more  Javanese 
w'ere  killed  and  the  Dutch  compelled  to  retire 
from  Bantam.  They  returned,  however,  a few 
years  later,  to  renew  their  commercial  intercourse, 
and  five  years  afterwards  (1603  a.  d.)  erected 
a permanent  establishment.  Not  long  after  this 
event  they  made  overtures  to  the  Prince  of  Jaka- 
tra,  and,  soon  removing  to  that  province,  entered 
into  an  advantageous  commercial  compact  with 
the  sovereign.  Other  treaties,  contracts,  and  stip- 
ulations were  made  with  the  Prince  of  Jakatra, 
also  with  the  King  of  Bantam,  the  Dutch  mean- 
while building  a fort  and  laying  out  an  extensive 
factory  at  Jakatra. 

One  account  of  the  manner  in  which  the  Dutch 
obtained  their  first  footing  in  Jakatra  has  been 
translated  thus  by  an  English  writer  from  J avanese 
history : — 


174  JAVA:  THE  PEARL  OF  THE  EAST 


“The  Dutch,  before  they  arrived  at  Jakatra, 
had  formed  an  alliance  with  the  Sultan  of  Ban- 
tam. They  subsequently  treated  with  the  English 
and  with  Pangeran  Jakatra ; but  after  a time 
they  found  a way  to  play  ol¥  a foul  stratagem  on 
the  latter.  In  the  first  place,  when  they  wished 
to  ascertain  the  strength  and  resources  of  Jaka- 
tra, they  landed  like  Mata-matas  (peons,  or  mes- 
sengers), the  captain  of  the  ship  disguising  him- 
self with  a turban,  and  accompanying  several 
Khojas  (a  term  by  which  the  natives  of  the  Coro- 
mandel coast  are  distinguished).  When  he  had 
made  his  observations  he  entered  upon  trade,  offer- 
ing, however,  much  better  terms  than  were  just, 
and  making  more  presents  than  were  necessary. 
A friendship  thus  took  place  between  him  and  the 
prince.  When  this  friendship  was  established, 
the  captain  informed  the  prince  that  his  ship 
wanted  repair ; and  the  prince,  at  his  request,  al- 
lowed the  vessel  to  be  brought  up  the  river.  Then 
the  captain  knocked  out  the  planks  of  the  bot- 
tom and  sunk  the  vessel,  to  obtain  a pretense  for 
further  time,  and  then  requested  a very  small 
piece  of  ground  on  which  to  build  a shed  to  store 
sails  and  other  property,  while  endeavors  should 
be  made  to  raise  the  vessel.  This  request  was  also 
complied  with.  The  captain  then  made  a wall  or 
mound  of  mud,  so  that  nobody  could  know  what 
he  was  doing,  and  in  the  mean  time  courted  the 
friendship  of  the  prince.  He  afterwards  waited 


USURPATION  BY  THE  DUTCH 


175 


on  the  prince,  and  requested  as  much  more  land 
as  could  be  covered  by  a buffalo’s  hide,  on  which 
he  might  build  a small  shed.  This  being  complied 
with,  he  cut  the  hide  into  strips,  and  claimed  all 
the  land  he  could  inclose  with  them.  To  this  also 
the  prince,  after  some  hesitation,  consented.  The 
captain  then  went  on  with  his  buildings,  engaging 
that  he  would  pay  all  expenses.  When  the  fort 
was  finished,  the  mud  wall  was  removed  ; batter- 
ies were  unexpectedly  displayed,  and  under  their 
protection  the  Dutch  refused  to  pay  a doit.  War 
then  commenced,  in  which  the  Dutch  were  re- 
duced to  such  an  extremity  as  to  be  obliged  to 
use  stones  in  lieu  of  balls,  which  were  expended. 
Even  this  resource  failed,  and  as  a last  expedient 
bags  of  the  filthiest  ordure  were  fired  upon  the 
Javanese,  whence  the  fort  has  ever  since  borne 
the  name  of  Kota  tai.” 

Another  version  reads  as  follows  : — 

“ The  Dutch,  having  obtained  the  desired  spot, 
built  upon  it  a storehouse,  and  formed  a garden 
for  vegetables.  When  Pangeran  Jakatra  inquired 
why  they  did  this,  they  replied  they  must  have 
their  conveniences,  and  that  it  was  not  the  custom 
of  the  Dutch  to  live  and  eat  like  the  Javans.  The 
Pangeran  was  satisfied  with  the  reason  given, 
and  allowed  the  work  to  proceed  ; but  they  had  no 
sooner  completed  several  buildings,  by  means  of 
the  people  landed  from  their  ships,  than  they  be- 
gan to  surround  them  with  a battery.  The  Pange- 


176  JAVA:  THE  PEAEL  OF  THE  EAST 

ran  again  was  roused,  and  inquired  the  reason  for 
this,  to  which  they  replied  that  there  were  a gTeat 
many  traders  about  to  arrive,  and  that  it  was  ne- 
cessary to  protect  their  property  from  thieves. 
When  the  batteries  were  completed  they  planted 
cannon  in  them.  The  Pangeran  inquired  the  rea- 
son of  this  preparation,  to  which  they  only  replied 
it  was  to  keep  off  bad  people. 

“ In  a short  time,  however,  when  the  Dutch 
had  increased  in  numbers,  they  fired  one  of  the 
guns,  and  the  ball  discharged  from  it  fell  in  front 
of  the  palace.  The  Pangeran  inquired  why  they 
did  so,  to  which  they  replied  they  w^ere  only  try- 
ing how  far  the  gun  would  carry,  in  order  that 
they  might  be  able  to  assist  the  Pangeran  should 
he  be  attacked  by  an  enemy.  The  Pangeran, 
however,  was  not  satisfied  with  this  reason,  and 
demanded  a fine  of  two  thousand  dollars  for  the 
insult,  which  the  Dutch  immediately  paid,  ^ut 
it  was  not  long  before  they  fired  another  gun,  the 
ball  of  which  went  over  the  palace,  on  which  the 
Pangeran  became  higlily  incensed,  and  demanded 
a fine  of  four  thousand  dollars,  threatening  if  it 
was  not  paid  forthwith  to  write  to  the  Sultan  of 
Mataram,  who  w'ould  order  them  immediately  to 
be  driven  from  the  island.  To  this  menace  the 
Dutch  said  nothing,  but  paid  the  money,  which 
the  Pangeran  received  with  delight.  The  Dutch 
at  last  fired  a gun,  the  ball  of  which  feU  within 
the  palace,  on  which  the  Pangeran,  conceiving  it  to 


USURPATION  BY  THE  DUTCH 


111 


be  their  intention  to  attack  him,  immediately  con- 
sidered them  enemies,  and  collected  his  people  in 
order  to  fall  upon  them  and  destroy  them  without 
delay.  As  soon  as  the  Dutch  saw  the  people  as- 
sembled, they  fired  from  their  batteries,  dealing 
slaughter  aU  around,  and  obliged  the  Pangeran 
and  his  people  to  retreat  out  of  reach  of  the 
shot.” 


CHAPTER  XXXII. 


THE  EilPIEE  OF  THE  DUTCH. 

The  Sultan  of  INIataram,  who  had  hitherto  been 
very  friendly  with  the  Dutch,  and  had  given  them 
permission  to  trade  and  build  a fort  at  Japara,  on 
the  coast,  some  distance  east  of  Batavia,  was  com- 
pelled to  resort  to  arms  or  tolerate  the  disobedi- 
ence of  one  of  his  subjects,  the  Toemeng’goong 
of  Soerabaja.  Following,  it  is  said,  the  advice  of 
the  Dutch,  he  proceeded  eastward  wdth  his  army, 
which  the  former  no  sooner  discovered  than  they 
availed  themselves  of  the  opportunity  to  take  pos- 
session of  Jakatra. 

Two  armies  were  sent  to  dislodge  the  usurpers. 
An  engagement  ensued,  in  which  ten  thousand  of 
the  Javanese  perished,  and  the  Dutch  were  suc- 
cessful in  establishing  their  supremacy.  We  will 
pass  over  the  detailed  events  occurring  in  the 
long  period  of  petty  intrigue  and  warfare  depicted 
in  the  subsequent  pages  of  Javahese  history,  in 
which  the  native  princes  were  engaged  in  aggres- 
sive and  defensive  combats  with  the  Dutch,  either 
in  unison  or  in  separate  sovereignties,  — some- 
times seeking  the  aid  of  the  Europeans  against 
a rebellious  province,  and  again  combining  with 


THE  EMPIRE  OF  THE  BUTCH 


179 


them  in  gaining  a victory  over  the  common  foe  ; 
the  Dutch  meanwhile  assisting,  approving,  dis- 
suading, or  encouraging,  as  best  contributed  to 
the  advance  of  their  own  power,  the  extension 
of  their  possessions,  and  the  firm  establishment 
of  their  capital  at  Batavia. 

In  1706  a treaty  determining  the  boundary 
between  the  territory  of  the  Dutch  and  the  Soesoe- 
nan  at  Soerakarta  was  signed,  which  did  not  ex- 
tinguish, however,  the  internal  discords  among  the 
Javanese,  who  continued  fighting,  and  applying 
to  the  European  government  at  Batavia  for  as- 
sistance in  their  continued  efforts  to  depose  one 
another,  which  led  to  the  ratification  of  former 
treaties  and  the  renewal  of  more  extended  negotia- 
tions with  the  Dutch,  who  in  war  and  commerce 
always  obtained  the  ascendency,  till  at  last,  in 
concluding  a treaty  of  peace,  the  island  of  Ma- 
doera  and  the  cities  of  Soerabaja  and  Samarang, 
on  the  sea-coast,  with  several  districts,  were  ceded 
to  them. 

Finally  the  reduced  authority  of  the  Soesoenan, 
his  troubled  government,  and  approaching  death 
gave  the  Dutch  the  long-desired  opportunity  of 
gaining  complete  control  of  the  whole  country. 
The  weakened  monarch  was  induced  “ to  abdicate 
for  himself  and  his  heirs  the  sovereignty  of  the 
country,  conferring  the  same  on  the  Dutch  East 
India  Company,  and  leaving  it  to  them  to  dispose 
of  in  future  to  any  person  they  might  think  com- 


180  JAVA:  THE  PEARL  OF  THE  EAST 

petent  to  govern  it  for  the  benefit  of  the  Com- 
pany and  of  Java.”  This  official  document  was 
dated  December  11,  1749. 

After  the  death  of  the  Soesoenan,  the  Pangeran 
Mangkoe  Boemi,  brother  of  the  late  sovereign,  and 
chief  leader  in  the  rebellions,  failing  to  get  the 
Dutch  to  acknowledge  him  as  sovereign,  and  per- 
ceiving that  they  preferred  instead  to  sustain  a 
lad  of  nine  years,  the  son  of  the  deceased  Soesoe- 
nan, and  raise  him  to  the  throne,  joined  with  the 
rebellious  chiefs,  renewed  open  hostilities,  and 
fought  a battle,  in  w’hich  he  was  defeated  and 
driven  westward.  Soon  recruiting  his  forces,  he 
returned,  and  engaged  in  two  successful  encount- 
ers with  the  Dutch,  routing  them  completely. 
Gaining  another  victory,  he  marched  towards  the 
north  coast,  where  he  fell  upon  Pakalongan  and 
sacked  the  towm. 

Mangkoe  Boemi,  now  victorious,  received  many 
additions  to  his  forces,  and  marched  to  the  gates 
of  Soerakarta,  where  the  former  Soesoenan  had 
removed  and  built  the  palace  referred  to  as  hav- 
ing since  been  the  residence  of  the  emperors  of 
Java,  and  was  prevented  from  plundering  the 
capital  only  by  the  superstitious  awe  with  which 
his  followers  regarded  the  gun  Xiai  Stomi,  held 
sacred  by  the  Javanese,  on  seeing  which  upon  the 
great  square  in  front  of  the  palace,  they  immedi- 
ately retreated. 

Nine  years  of  harassing  warfare  failing  to  re- 


TUE  EMPIRE  OF  THE  DUTCH 


181 


duce  the  country  to  order,  the  Dutch,  in  view 
of  the  abdication  made  in  their  favor  by  the  dy- 
ing Soesoenan,  gave  ear  to  the  proposals  of  Mang- 
koe  Boeini  to  cede  peace,  if  one  half  of  Java  were 
given  to  him. 

They  acceded  to  the  prince’s  demand,  with 
the  stipulation  that  the  latter  was  to  do  his  ut- 
most to  subdue  the  rebellious  chief  Pakoe  Nogoro. 
A treaty  was  signed  in  1755,  the  Dutch  governor 
proclaiming  Mangkoe  Boemi,  Sultan  Hamangkoe 
Boewono.  The  new  Sultan,  proceeding  against 
Pakoe  Nogoro,  was  defeated,  and  obliged  to  seek 
safety  in  flight  and  concealment,  while  Pakoe 
Nogoro  burned  his  camp.  The  Dutch  placed  a 
reward  on  the  head  of  the  rebel  prince,  and 
Hamangkoe  Boewono,  reorganizing  his  scattered 
troops,  pursued  and  defeated  him.. 

Pakoe  Nogoro  still  refusing  to  submit,  the 
Sultan  and  the  Soesoenan  with  their  united  forces 
attacked  him,  and  after  prolonging  the  contest  for 
a period  of  two  years,  with  no  prospect  of  final 
success,  he  requested  the  grant  of  certain  lands 
for  his  support,  promising  on  that  condition  to 
maintain  peace  for  the  future.  His  terms  were 
accepted,  and  he  received  liberal  assignments  of 
land  and  the  title  of  Mangkoe  Nogoro. 

The  lands  of  Mangkoe  Nogoro  lying  between 
the  dominions  of  the  two  Sultans  (one  called 
Soesoenan  because  it  is  a shade  more  religious) 
aided  in  preserving  peace  by  keeping  them  farther 


182  JAVA;  THE  PEARL  OF  THE  EAST 


apart.  The  three  claimants  now  compelled  to  be 
satisfied,  the  war,  which  had  commenced  in  1746, 
was  ended  in  1758,  causing  the  Dutch  an  expendi- 
ture of  nearly  4,300,000  florins. 

The  Sultan  Hamangkoe  Boewono  established 
his  capital  at  Djokjokarta,  where  his  descendants 
stni  reign  under  the  protectorate  of  the  Dutch. 
After  a long  life  he  was  succeeded  by  his  son, 
Sultan  Hamangkoe  Boewono  II.  The  present 
Sultan  is  Hamangkoe  Boewono  VI.  The  Soe- 
soenan  Pakoe  Boewono  HI.,  during  whose  rule 
the  kingdom  was  thus  divided,  died  at  Soerakarta 
in  1789;  his  successors  continue  to  reign  under 
the  title  of  Soesoenan  Pakoe  Boewono  IV.,  V., 
etc.  Each  of  these  princes  receives  an  enormous 
annual  revenue  from  the  Dutch  government,  in 
return  for  whi(?h  he  is  made,  willingly  or  unwill- 
ingly, to  govern  his  subjects  according  to  the  pol- 
icy of  his  protectors,  and  to  follow  the  advice  of 
the  latter  in  all  political  transactions.  Both  spend 
their  incomes  lavishly,  and  maintain  their  respec- 
tive courts  with  aU  the  dignity  and  splendor  they 
deem  befitting  the  royal  blood  of  the  sovereigns 
of  Java. 


CHAPTER  XXXm. 


THE  DUTCH  EAST  INDIES. 

Java,  as  we  have  stated,  belongs  to  the  Nether- 
lands, and  is  the  one  pearl  of  great  price  in  the 
Dutch  colonial  crown.  The  sovereignty  of  the 
Dutch  in  the  East  Indian  Archipelago  is  undis- 
puted, and  extends  from  the  island  of  Sumatra  on 
the  west  to  the  coast  of  New  Guinea  on  the  south- 
east, embracing  the  entire  !Malay  Archipelago ; 
consequently,  the  flag  of  the  Netherlands  floats  its 
red,  white,  and  blue  over  every  island  in  the 
group.  Half  the  island  of  Timor  belongs  to  the 
Portuguese,  whose  capital  is  Timor  Deli.  The 
capital  of  the  Dutch  half  is  Timor  Koepang. 
An  immense  tract  of  territory  on  the  north  coast 
of  Borneo  is  owned  by  the  British  North  Borneo 
Company,  and  this,  with  Sarawak,  the  principality 
of  Eajah  Brooke  on  the  west  coast,  both  acquired 
by  private  treaty  and  purchase  from  native  Sul- 
tans, is  under  the  protection  of  Great  Britain, 
These  two  possessions,  however,  are  very  small  in 
comparison  with  the  extended  territory  behind 
them,  which  acknowledges  allegiance  to  the  ensign 
of  the  Netherlands. 

The  Dutch  ports  on  all  these  islands,  with  the 


184  JAVA:  THE  PEABL  OF  THE  EAST 


regular  system  of  steam  navigation  established, 
offer  extended  avenues  for  commerce,  which  are 
largely  taken  advantage  of  by  the  English  and 
Chinese,  trading  from  the  neighboring  port  of 
Singapore,  the  capital  of  the  Straits  Settlements. 
The  policy  of  the  Netherlands  in  the  East  differs 
essentially  from  that  of  Great  Britain.  The  latter 
appears  to  develop  her  colonies  for  their  own 
benefit  by  applying  the  proceeds  to  their  imme- 
diate improvement,  thus  endeavoring  to  render 
them  self-supporting  as  rapidly  as  possible  ; while 
Holland  approjiriates  the  immense  revenues  re- 
ceived from  her  rich  colonial  islands  in  times  of 
peace,  and  gives  in  return  high  taxes,  stringent 
Dutch  laws,  and  the  blessings  of  government. 

The  Dutch  East  India  Company,  established 
in  1602,  once  monopolized  the  trade  of  the  archi- 
pelago, and  supplied  the  world  with  sugar,  coffee, 
spices,  and  other  valuable  products  from  these 
equatorial  regions  ; but  this  gigantic  corporation 
has  long  since  passed  out  of  existence,  and  thrown 
the  varied  commerce  of  the  East  open  to  the  en- 
terprising and  adventurous  of  all  nations. 

The  Nederlandsche  Handel  ^Maatschappy  estab- 
lished its  factory  in  1825,  and  has  the  monop- 
oly of  the  transport  and  sale  of  the  government 
produce.  Its  capital  is  enormous,  and  it  does  a 
very  important  business  in  loaning  and  advancing 
funds  on  prospective  crops  and  estates,  beside  a 
banking  business  which  extends  to  all  parts  of 


THE  DUTCH  EAST  INDIES  185 

the  world.  This  is  the  most  extensive  mercantile 
corporation  in  the  East. 

In  all  the  ports  and  places  under  Dutch  rule, 
where  the  necessities  of  the  population  seem  to 
make  the  demand,  the  government  has  established 
schools,  hospitals,  asylums,  and  places  for  Chris- 
tian worship ; especially  has  this  been  the  case  on 
the  island  of  Java,  where  the  large  European  ele- 
ment renders  these  accommodations  essential  to 
the  welfare,  contentment,  and  happiness  of  the  in- 
habitants. 

The  Dutch  Governor-General  is  the  supreme 
head  of  both  civil  and  military  law  throughout 
the  Netherlands  Indies.  His  Excellency  repre- 
sents the  King  of  Holland,  and  from  his  mandate 
there  is  no  appeal.  He  is  assisted  in  the  admin- 
istration of  the  laws  by  the  council  of  India, 
composed  of  five  eminent  statesmen  appointed  in 
Holland. 

Various  government  schools  and  colleges  are 
established  in  Holland,  for  the  training  and  edu- 
cation of  youths  for  the  East  Indian  civil  and 
military  service.  In  these  institutions,  a good 
education  is  obtained,  and  secure  employment 
provided  for  the  future.  The  young  functionary 
passes  his  examination,  and  with  his  commission 
in  his  pocket,  is  sent  to  India,  where  he  receives  a 
liberal  salary,  and  after  twenty  years’  service  away 
from  home,  in  this  trying  climate,  he  is  allowed 
to  retire  on  a pension  sufficient  to  support  him  in 


186  JAVA;  THE  PEABL  OF  THE  EAST 


Holland  the  remainder  of  his  life.  In  Holland, 
the  government  official  must  serve  forty  years  be- 
fore he  can  quit  the  service  and  receive  his  pen- 
sion. The  government  service  is  diHded  into 
three  classes,  A functionary  of  the  first  class, 
going  to  India,  must  be  a graduate  of  the  higher 
classes  of  that  branch  of  the  service  which  he  may 
have  chosen,  and  has  usually  a diploma  from  one 
of  the  three  Dutch  universities,  Utrecht,  Gronin- 
gen, or  Leyden.  The  princes  of  Holland  patron- 
ize the  University  of  Leyden. 

Notwithstanding  the  excellent  schools  which 
the  government  has  established  for  the  instruc- 
tion of  the  natives  in  Java,  they  cling  with  the 
utmost  tenacity  to  the  ^v^itten  law  of  the  Koran, 
and,  with  very  rare  exception,  are  avowed  Moham- 
medans. The  Dutch,  however,  are  not  enthusiastic 
about  proselytizing  them,  and  make  it  a rule 
never  to  interfere  with  their  religion. 

Mosques  are  scattered  all  over  the  island,  and 
if  a Christian  enters  them  it  must  be  with  unshod 
feet.  They  are  plain  structures,  square  or  octag- 
onal in  shape,  with  two  or  more  roofs,  receding 
one  above  the  other,  and  surmounted  with  low 
round  domes,  the  interior  destitute  of  niche, 
image,  or  ornamentation.  The  mosques  are  usu- 
ally surrounded  by  a terrace,  ascended  by  hand- 
some steps  or  a broad  Inclined  walk  leading  up 
to  the  front  entrance.  Huge  tanks  of  pure  water 
are  provided  near  at  hand,  where  the  Moslem 


THE  DUTCH  EAST  INDIES 


187 


commences  his  devotions  by  bathing  before  en- 
tering the  temple.  Friday  is  the  Mohammedan 
Sabbath.  A daily  service  is  held  in  the  mosques, 
to  which  is  added  the  duty  following  the  muez- 
zin’s call  at  sunset.  The  worshipers  kneel  on 
small  mats  which  they  throw  on  the  tile  or  marble 
floor,  and,  with  faces  turned  towards  Mecca,  re- 
peat prayers  from  the  Koran.  Their  priests  have 
generally  made  a pilgrimage  to  Mecca,  to  behold 
with  their  own  eyes  the  birthplace  of  their  Pro- 
phet, and  to  look  with  superstitious  awe  upon  the 
Kaaba  containing  the  sacred  black  stone.  The 
broad  white  turban  bespeaks  the  fulfillment  of 
this  highly  meritorious  act,  and  causes  the  wearer 
to  be  regarded  with  great  reverence  by  the  mul- 
titude. 


CHAPTER  XXXIV. 


LIFE  IN  BATAVIA. 

BATA\aA,  the  largest  city  in  the  archipelago, 
is  situated  on  the  northern  coast  of  J ava,  near  the 
mouths  of  the  Tjiliwong  and  Jakatra  rivers.  The 
latter  skirts  the  suburbs  of  the  city  on  the  west, 
and  the  Tjiliwong  flows  through  its  centre,  both 
emptying  into  the  Java  Sea.  Batavia  has  long 
been  celebrated  for  its  great  beauty,  and  among 
Eastern  cities  stands  without  a rival.  With 
its  comforts,  luxuries,  and  general  air  of  elegance, 
it  bursts  upon  the  traveler  in  the  Orient  like  a 
beautiful,  unexpected,  yet  familiar  friend,  surpris- 
ing and  fascinating  him  with  its  attractiveness : 
he  hails  it  with  delight,  and  leaves  it  undecided 
whether  he  should  describe  it  as  a city,  or  as  a 
vast  park  crowded  wnth  magnificent  pavilions.  In 
the  upper  or  modern  city,  the  streets  are  broad 
and  handsome,  arched  overhead  with  rich  masses 
of  interlacing  foliage,  and  intersected  by  canals, 
which  are  lined  wdth  stone  and  bordered  wdth  low 
stone  parapets,  and  filled  with  w'ater  from  the  two 
rivers.  These  canals,  crossed  by  fine  bridges  and 
flanked  on  both  sides  by  wide  streets,  impart  a 
pleasing  impression  of  spaciousness  to  the  city. 


LIFE  IN  BATAVIA 


189 


Rows  of  trees  usually  shade  the  parapets,  while 
the  opposite  sides  of  the  way  are  adorned  with 
handsome  residences,  imbedded  in  dense  clumps 
of  green. 

The  public  buildings  are  numerous,  large,  and 
substantial,  consisting  of  churches,  schools,  asy- 
lums, hospitals,  scientific  institutions,  government 
bureaus,  libraries,  museums,  clubs,  theatres,  banks, 
and  military  quarters.  An  imposing  new  palace 
for  the  governor-general  faces  the  Koningsplein, 
once  the  English  racecourse,  a grassy  level  some 
three  miles  in  circumference,  in  the  centre  of  the 
fashionable  portion  of  the  city,  and  encircled  by  a 
superb  hard  white  street,  bordered  on  each  side 
with  a double  row  of  tamarind-trees. 

The  popular  drive  is  around  the  Koningsplein ; 
here  may  be  seen  every  afternoon,  between  five 
o’clock  and  dark,  equipages  that  will  compare 
with  those  of  any  capital  in  Europe.  Beautiful 
mansions  face  this  gigantic  green,  which  is  the 
most  marked  feature  in  the  open  plan  of  beauty 
that  distinguishes  Batavia.  The  dwellings  of 
the  Europeans  throughout  the  city  are  low, 
broad,  one-storied  structures,  surrounded  with 
deep  verandas  supported  by  numerous  white  pil- 
lars, and  half  hidden  by  heavy  foliage,  which 
tends  to  magnify  their  grand  and  palatial  appear- 
ance, impressing  the  stranger  with  an  agreeable 
sense  of  wealth,  luxury,  and  magnificence. 

■ /Vessels  dropping  anchor  in  Batavia  Roads  are 


190  JAVA;  THE  PEARL  OF  THE  EAST 


immediately  visited  by  an  officer  from  the  guard- 
ship,  who,  after  examining  the  passenger  list,  and 
receiving  satisfactory  answers  to  the  usual  inqui- 
ries about  sickness,  etc.,  gives  the  passengers  per- 
mission to  go  on  shore.  Steamers  generally  land 
their  passengers  at  the  new  harbor,  Tandjong 
Priok,  where  massive  and  elaborate  piers  have 
been  constructed  and  lately  completed  by  the 
government  at  great  expense,  to  avoid  the  neces- 
sity of  transporting  cargo  and  passengers  in  small 
boats  from  vessels  anchored  out  at  sea,  as  for- 
merly had  to  be  done.  Steam-cars  run  every 
half  hour  during  the  day  between  Tandjong 
Priok  and  the  city,  a distance  of  five  or  six  miles, 
where  they  connect  with  trains  for  the  interior. 

When  the  traveler,  just  liberated  from  a five  or 
six  weeks’  sojourn  in  the  stuffy  cabins  of  a steam- 
ship, or  perhaps  from  a three  or  four  months’ 
voyage  in  a saibng-ship,  finds  himself  flying  up 
the  Molenvliet  — the  chief  thoroughfare  between 
the  fashionable  part  of  the  city  and  the  business 
quarter,  down  towards  the  harbor  and  coast  — in 
a comfortable  if  not  luxurious  carriage  drawn  by 
swift  ponies,  behind  a brown  coachman  in  a sort 
of  long  red  calico  jacket,  shaded  with  a bamboo 
hat  that  looks  like  a parasol,  he  will  doubtless 
experience  the  most  lively  emotions  of  surprise 
and  pleasure.  Here  comes  a Chinese  peddler, 
in  white  or  light-colored  pajamas,  bare  feet,  and 
bare  head,  with  two  or  three  Malays  carrying  his 


LIFE  IN  BATAVIA 


191 


goods,  suspended  from  springy  slats  of  bamboo 
stretched  across  their  shoulders ; next,  the  elegant 
carriages  of  merchants  going  to  town,  with  their 
owners,  in  immaculate  white  clothes,  indolently 
reclining  on  the  cushions  inside ; then  three  or 
four  half-naked  coolies  carrying  between  them, 
perhaps,  a piano,  tied  with  ropes  to  a bamboo 
pole  ; next  a curious  little  covered  native  carriage 
on  two  wheels  rattles  past ; then  a clumsy  cart 
drawn  by  two  buffaloes  creaks  along ; then  come 
dark,  round-faced  natives,  with  chickens  tied  to- 
gether by  the  legs,  and  hung,  heads  downward, 
across  the  ends  of  bamboo  poles  balanced  on 
their  shoulders,  followed  by  others  carrying  cages 
filled  with  struggling  birds  or  pigeons,  and  bas- 
kets containing  snakes,  fish,  coral-colored  shrimps, 
or  whatever  they  may  be ; while  steam-cars  puff 
and  whistle  up  and  down  the  railroad  on  the  edge 
of  the  canal  which  runs  parallel  with  the  street, 
bearing  on  its  still  and  yellow  waters  rafts  poled 
onward  by  almost  naked  brown -skinned  men. 
One  side  of  the  Molenvliet  is  lined  with  the  shops 
and  dwellings  of  the  Chinese  and  Malays,  and 
occasionally  the  residence  of  a European.  Here 
and  there  under  the  spreading  shade  of  the  wa- 
ringin  or  the  tamarind  tree,  native  women  sit, 
selling  cooked  rice  in  various  forms,  and  serving 
it  on  the  fresh  green  leaf  of  the  plantain  to  the 
moving  throngs,  composed  of  Malays,  Cliinamen, 
Bugis,  Arabs,  and  Javanese  of  every  age  and 


192  JAVA:  THE  PEARL  OF  THE  EAST 

color  ; some  well  dressed,  some  poorly  dressed, 
and  some  naked,  except  a sarong  around  their 
waist  and  hips.  Passing  through  these  strange 
scenes,  the  traveler  at  last  reaches  his  hotel,  where 
w'hite  marble  floors,  broad  halls,  large,  cool  rooms, 
deep  verandas,  and  many  servants  give  promise  of 
rest  and  comfort  in  the  days  to  come.  Here,  as 
soon  as  he  gets  accustomed  to  the  little  brown 
lizards  that  live  in  the  closets,  hide  in  the  cor- 
ners of  the  sofas,  scamper  across  the  tables,  and 
occupy  the  beds,  he  may  begiu  to  enjoy  the  lux- 
ury and  languor  of  Oriental  life,  which  glides 
along  in  Batavia  somewhat  after  the  following 
fashion. 

It  is  usual  to  rise  with  the  sun,  which  shoots 
suddenly  above  the  horizon  at  about  six  o’clock, 
the  year  round,  in  a few  moments  replacing  the 
soft  darkness  with  a brilliant  and  penetrating 
light.  As  the  dwellings  have  but  one  story,  on 
account  of  earthquakes,  the  bedrooms  are  on  the 
ground  floor,  with  immediate  access  to  the  ve- 
randas, to  which  the  newly -arisen  at  once  pro- 
ceeds, to  drink  cofPee,  tea,  or  chocolate,  and  eat  a 
biscuit,  after  which  he  resorts  to  the  bath,  gener- 
ally a large  room  in  the  rear,  where  a refreshing 
plunge,  or  douche,  or  perhaps  the  cool  mountain 
water  thrown  over  the  head,  in  the  Eastern  fash- 
ion, temporarily  dispels  the  climatic  languor,  and 
reinvigorates  his  energy.  The  bath  over,  the 
Dutchman  takes  a stroll  in  his  pajamas,  carelessly 


LIFE  IN  BATAVIA 


193 


puffing  meanwhile  a fragTant  cigar,  and  the  Eng- 
lishman sometimes  a ride  on  horseback  ; both  re- 
turning to  dress  and  partake  of  a nine  o’clock 
breakfast,  which  is  served  in  a broad,  cool  hall, 
and  is  similar  to  the  same  meal  in  America  or 
England,  with  the  addition  of  an  abundance  of 
luscious  tropical  fruits.  After  breakfast,  the  gen- 
tlemen of  the  family  are  driven  to  town  in  their 
carriages,  and  the  ladies,  in  native  dress,  with 
hair  hanging  loose  down  their  backs,  spend  the 
morning  in  reclining  on  the  sofas  in  the  shade 
of  the  verandas,  gossiping,  reading,  or  receiving 
early  calls  from  friends  of  their  own  sex  coming 
in  closed  carriages,  and  in  undress  like  them- 
selves. At  one  o’clock,  the  midday  meal  (tiffin) 
is  served,  when  the  Eastern  cooks  astonish  the 
foreigner  with  the  number  of  their  highly  sea- 
soned preparations,  which  are  eaten  with  the  one 
standing  dish  of  rice  and  curry,  to  which  are 
added  salted  duck’s  eggs,  meat,  vegetables,  fruits, 
wine,  and  coffee.  When  this  abundant  meal  has 
been  duly  honored,  the  Eastern  household,  from 
mistress  to  maid,  and  butler  to  scullion,  retire  to 
refresh  themselves  by  passing  two  hours  or  more 
during  the  hottest  part  of  the  day  in  sleep.  At 
four  o’clock,  the  house  springs  into  life  again,  tea 
is  served,  as  in  the  early  morning,  a second  bath 
is  enjoyed,  succeeded  by  an  elaborate  toilet,  when 
an  airing,  without  hat  or  bonnet,  in  splendid  open 
equipages,  attended  by  numerous  dark-skinned 


194  JAVA:  THE  PEARL  OF  THE  EAST 


servants  in  bright  dress,  wliicdi  gives  piquancy 
and  quaintness  to  an  already  animated  picture,  is 
taken  around  the  Koningsplein  and  to  the  W ater- 
loo  plain,  a large  green  square,  where  the  military 
band  plays  every  Sunday  afternoon,  drawing  a 
large  concourse  of  fashionable  people,  as  well  as 
the  natives  of  the  neighboring  villages.  About 
six  o’clock,  the  sun  drops  behind  the  western 
mountain  ridges,  and  immediately  it  is  dark,  and 
the  vehicles,  with  their  chatting  occupants,  grad- 
ually disperse,  to  whirl  homeward  to  an  eight- 
o’clock  dinner,  which  is  a somewhat  elaborate 
affair. 

In  tbe  evening,  visits  are  made  or  received, 
clubs  and  receptions  are  attended,  the  opera  or 
theatre  is  resorted  to,  and  Bata'V’ia  is  alive  with 
activity  and  animation.  By  twelve  and  one 
o’clock  the  city  has  sunk  into  slumber,  to  awaken 
again  the  next  morning  and  take  up  the  life  of 
the  previous  day,  with  little  variation  throughout 
the  year. 


CHAPTER  XXXV. 


TRAVELING  IN  JAVA. 

If  one  has  plenty  of  time,  traveling  in  Java  is 
a novel  and  pleasing  experience.  The  recent  con- 
struction of  a railroad,  penetrating  the  interior 
from  Batavia,  has  greatly  lessened  the  difficulty 
of  getting  over  the  island ; but  when  a different 
route  is  contemplated,  the  ancient  diligence  is  the 
only  means  available.  This  coach  is  the  highest, 
most  cumbersome,  and  most  delightful  vehicle  im- 
aginable. It  is  strong,  gigantic  in  size,  well  pad- 
ded, has  springs  that  make  it  rock  like  a cradle, 
with  capacious  pockets,  and  concealed  recesses  in 
which  to  stow  away  everything  requisite  for  a 
journey.  During  the  day  a hammock  can  be 
swung  within  its  curtains,  and  at  night  its  cush- 
ions can  be  converted  into  a commodious  bed. 

The  day  before  starting  on  a journey  in  the 
diligence,  orders  are  sent  forward  to  have  fresh 
horses  ready  at  the  different  stations.  When 
everything  conceivable  as  necessary  for  a journey 
is  packed  out  of  sight  in  the  maw-like  cavities  of 
the  old  coach,  four  plucky  little  ponies  are  at- 
tached, and  the  travelers  mount  to  their  seats. 
The  driver,  in  a red  or  pink  calico  garment  re- 


196  JAVA:  THE  PEABL  OF  THE  EAST 

sembling  a long  loose  nightshirt,  and  a bamboo 
hat  in  shape  and  size  like  an  umbrella,  twdrls  a 
whiplash,  many  yards  long,  above  his  head,  pro- 
ducing two  or  three  reports  like  pistol-shots ; and 
with  many  “ slamat  jalans  ” — happy  journeys  — 
from  the  admiring  natives,  away  go  the  ponies 
over  the  smooth  roads  at  full  gallop,  accompanied 
on  each  side  by  two  or  three  coolies,  whose  busi- 
ness it  is  to  run  beside  the  ponies,  whip  them  up, 
and  keep  them  at  their  utmost  speed.  This  con- 
tinues for  five  miles,  the  coach  swinging  and  rock- 
ing in  the  most  enchanting  fashion,  when  sud- 
denly a halt  is  made  in  a covered  station,  the 
steaming  horses  and  the  whippers-up  are  quickly 
exchanged  for  fresh  ones,  and  the  journey  is  con- 
tinued with  the  same  changes,  which  are  made  aU 
over  Java.  When  mountains  are  to  be  climbed, 
the  patient  buffaloes  are  added  to,  or  replace,  the 
horses,  till  the  heights  are  overcome. 

To  describe  the  lovely  landscapes  that  charm 
the  eye,  the  towering  mountains  that  hide  in  the 
clouds,  and  the  far-reaching  views  stretching  over 
land  and  sea,  that  repay  the  tourist  on  these  ex- 
cursions, would  be  quite  impossible.  Sometimes 
he  is  inclosed  in  valleys  so  deep  that  he  can  only 
gaze  upwards  to  the  blue  overhead ; again  he  is 
traversing  plains  so  immense  and  solitary  that 
nothing  is  visible  save  the  vast  levels  bounded  on 
one  side  by  the  dark  outline  of  a mountain  range, 
and  on  the  other  by  the  blue  rim  of  the  drooping 


TRAVELING  IN  JAVA 


197  ‘ 


sky.  Then  he  penetrates  the  perpetual  gloom  of 
forests  crowded  with  the  symmetrical  trunks  of 
the  teak ; and  sometimes  he  pauses  upon  a moun- 
tain road,  lost  in  admiring  the  grandeur  of  the 
scene  unrolled  below  him.  On  these  majestic 
heights  he  will  see  old  craters,  filled  with  water 
rising  from  beneath,  that  appears  to  be  black,  or 
blue,  or  shaded  with  the  varied  and  brilliant  tints 
of  the  rainbow ; boiling  streams  rushing  down- 
ward beside  those  of  icy  coldness,  cascades  falling 
over  rocks  in  huge,  fan- like  forms  of  silvery 
spray,  and  single  jets  of  gigantic  size  pouring 
down  perpendicularly  three  or  four  hundred  feet. 
In  short,  to  see  Java  from  the  open  windows  of 
a diligence  is  to  be  introduced  to  a strange  and 
lovely  world  of  wonders. 

It  is  the  custom  to  set  out  very  early  in  the 
morning,  and  to  rest  during  the  heat  of  the  day  at 
a hotel,  or,  if  provided  with  proper  introductions, 
at  the  house  of  a planter  or  the  residence  of  a 
native  regent.  In  any  event,  the  traveler  is  made 
welcome,  and  usually  sets  forth  again  about  four 
o’clock  in  the  afternoon,  passing  the  night  in  one 
of  the  habitations  above  named.  If  disappointed 
in  this,  the  hammock  is  swung  in  the  coach,  or  the 
cushioned  bed  prepared,  while  the  friendly  natives 
maintain  guard  outside.  If  it  is  necessary  to  halt 
in  this  manner  near  a forest  or  a jungle,  fires  are 
made,  and  a watch  is  set  to  keep  off  the  tigers. 
With  a little  good  management,  however,  a proper 
shelter  can  always  be  reached. 


198  JAVA;  THE  PEABL  OF  THE  EAST 

The  planters  of  Java  are  really  the  princes  of 
the  land.  Their  extended  domains  frequently 
render  life  on  a plantation  quite  isolated,  for 
which  they  endeavor  to  compensate  by  surround- 
ing themselves  with  every  personal  comfort  and 
much  grandeur.  On  the  coffee  estates,  situated 
on  high  grounds,  the  air  is  delicious,  and  the  pros- 
pects are  often  so  magnificent  that  the  loss  of 
society  is  scarcely  a deprivation ; but  on  the  rice 
and  sugar  plantations  on  the  low  plains,  where  the 
heat  is  intense,  bringing  into  constant  demand  the 
fan  and  bath-room,  the  view  necessarily  contracted, 
and  life  dull  and  sluggish,  the  monotony  often  be- 
comes almost  intolerable.  Frequent  trips  in  the 
great  coach  to  the  cities  on  the  coasts,  and  hospit- 
able entertainments  in  their  princely  homes,  are 
the  sugar-planters’  only  refuge  against  solitude. 
These  grand  seigneurs  are  kings  on  their  own 
estates,  often  issuing  their  own  coin,  as  a con- 
venience for  the  thousands  that  cultivate  their 
lands  and  dwell  on  their  soil. 

The  traveler,  having  completed  his  tours  in 
Java,  and  learned,  like  the  scholar,  just  enough  to 
know  how  much  there  is  to  learn,  now  feels  like 
extending  his  wanderings  to  other  islands  in  the 
archipelago.  He  therefore  leaves  Batavia  in  one 
of  the  Dutch  steamers  that  make  the  regular 
round  of  all  the  Dutch  ports,  getting  back  to  the 
beautiful  eity  in  about  six  weeks,  after  haHng 
seen  still  stranger  people,  and  witnessed  many 


TRAVELING  IN  JAVA 


199 


curious  phases  of  ci\ulization,  and  perhaps  cruel 
evidences  of  absolute  barbarism. 

The  time  comes  at  last  when  he  decides  to  go 
home,  and  the  question  arises,  Which  way  shall 
he  go  ? Not  as  he  came,  for  change  is  always 
desirable.  There  are  Singapore,  China,  Japan, 
and  the  Pacific,  offering  something  perhaps  en- 
tirely new.  To  Europe,  however,  he  wishes  to  re- 
turn, and  one  of  the  large  and  comfortable  sailing 
packets  going  around  the  Cape  of  Good  Hope 
presents  the  best  accommodations  for  the  multitude 
of  souvenirs  he  intends  to  transport ; so  he  goes 
on  board  with  the  birds,  monkeys,  parrots,  ser- 
pents, flying  foxes,  sti’ange  plants,  rare  shells, 
and  possibly  one  or  two  tiger  cubs,  with  which  he 
has  encumbered  himself,  and  gives  himself  up  to 
rest  and  recuperation  after  his  exhausting  ram- 
bles under  the  equator,  enjoying  the  dreamy  days 
and  quiet  nights,  when  neither  he  nor  his  vessel 
appears  to  move,  yet  he  still  glides  on  and  on, 
leaving  the  perfumed  air  and  soft  winds  behind 
him,  suddenly  to  wake  up  some  morning  and  find 
frozen  decks  and  icy  spars,  and  the  pure  white  al- 
batross circling  above  the  rolling  and  pitching- 
ship,  under  the  sombre  skies  south  of  Cape  Town. 

The  perpendicular  rock  of  St.  Helena  will  prob- 
ably next  attract  his  special  attention,  and  a day 
spent  on  the  island,  where  the  air  is  warm  and 
heavy,  and  the  Ethiopian  element  visible  in  many 
of  the  inhabitants,  will  remind  him  of  the  sunny 


200  JAVA:  THE  PEARL  OF  THE  EAST 


south  of  the  United  States.  A drive  of  fourteen 
miles  carries  him  around  the  little  island,  and  a 
visit  to  Longwood,  where  Napoleon  I.  breathed 
his  last,  and  the  purchase  of  a photograph  of  the 
wretched,  barn-like  dwelling  in  which  he  lived  and 
died,  will  make  him  glad  to  get  back  to  the  play- 
ful cubs  and  mischievous  monkeys  on  board  his 
ship.  Soon  follow  more  of  the  dreamy  days  un- 
der the  equator,  which  he  must  cross  a second 
time,  where  the  glorious  brilliancy  of  the  sunsets 
exceeds  the  magnificence  of  those  that  he  has  wit- 
nessed in  the  same  latitude  on  the  Indian  Ocean; 
and  the  dolphin,  the  porpoise,  the  shark,  and  the 
grampus,  disporting  under  the  glassy  water,  pro- 
duce the  only  ripple  of  excitement  in  the  wondrous 
stillness. 

At  last  the  beautiful  days  and  brilliant  skies 
have  joined  the  other  memories  of  the  East,  and 
his  good  ship  is  moving  slowly  along  under  the 
sombre  grays  that  hang  above  the  bright  green 
meadows  of  Holland,  seeming  to  tug  at  their  far- 
away edges  in  futile  attempts  to  drag  them  back 
to  the  dark  gloom  of  the  North  Sea.  Here  we 
shall  leave  him  gazing  at  the  low,  willow-fringed 
dykes  and  beckoning  arms  of  the  welcoming  wind- 
mills, to  meet  him  again,  perhaps,  and  renew  our 
companionship  with  a glad,  “ Dag,  m}Tiheer,”  as 
he  springs  ashore  on  the  shady  Boompjes  of  the 
old  Dutch  city  of  Rotterdam. 


INDEX 


Acheeo,  24,  43 ; war  in,  113. 

Agate,  30. 

Agricultural  occupations,  51,  122; 

implements,  102. 

Aji  Saka,  143,  157. 

Albuquerque,  Alpbonzo  d’,  22. 
Alphabet,  138,  li^. 

Amok,  to  run,  123. 

Anger,  104. 

Angka  Wijaya,  162, 103,  164,  168. 
Arabs,  87,  89,  90,  115,  126, 191 ; mis- 
sionary, 164. 

Aria  Damar,  163, 164, 166. 

Arjuna,  volcano,  28. 

Aromatic  grasses,  52. 

Arrack,  119. 

Attap,  60. 

Bali,  Strait  of,  22,  104 ; island  and 
language  of,  138. 

Bamboo,  51,  56 ; uses  of,  59, 60  ; hut 
of,  91. 

Banana,  52. 

Bantam,  18,  24;  kings  of,  125,  171, 
173 ; Dutch  at,  23,  173. 
Banyan-tree,  60. 

Batavia,  10, 20, 24, 44, 89, 189 ; beauty 
of,  26, 188 ; founded,  171, 178 ; life 
in,  192. 

Bathing,  96. 

Bazars,  105. 

Behouden  channel,  15. 

Bintara,  52,  166, 107. 

Birds,  67,  77. 

Blandong  people,  119. 

Blt^deg,  37. 

Boa-constrictor,  83. 

Boars,  wild,  67. 

Boiling  streams,  30. 

Bolt,  Governor-General,  24. 

Borneo,  155, 183. 

Boro  Bodo,  temple  of,  152,  153. 
Brahma,  142,  153. 

Brambanan,  146,  148. 

Bread-fruit  tree,  60. 


British  North  Borneo  Company,  183. 
Bromo,  29, 38 ; crater  of,  39,  40. 
Brooke,  Rajah,  183. 

Buddha,  142,  153. 

Buffalo,  63,  122 ; tiger  combat,  lp6. 
Buitenzorg,  26. 

Bugis,  191. 

Bulls,  wild,  67,  69. 

Calc-spar,  36. 

Camels,  (^. 

Camphor-tree,  51. 

Cape  of  Good  Hope,  199. 

Canielian,  30. 

Castlereagh,  Viscount,  25. 
Cemeteries,  132. 

Centipedes,  82. 

Ceylon,  10. 

Chameleon,  82. 

Cheribon,  29,  36 ; Sultan  of,  170, 171, 
Chinese,  87,  89, 191. 

Cinchona,  51, 101. 

Circumcision,  127. 

Civet,  71,  72. 

Cloth,  making  of,  54, 118. 

Coal,  46. 

Cobra,  84. 

Cock-figliting,  136. 

Cocoanuts,  M ; oil  of,  103. 

Coen,  John  Pietersen,  25. 

Coffee,  34,  51 ; culture  of,  106,  108  ; 

fovernment,  107 ; amount  raised, 
08 ; berries,  109. 

Colombo,  10. 

^^ord  54 

Cotton  plant,  102,  111. 

Cotton-tree,  60. 

Cows,  64. 

Crocodiles,  67,  68;  price  for,  69; 

haunts  of,  70 ; fat  of,  71. 

Curry,  98. 

Dadap-tree,  109. 

Damak,  166,  168, 169  ; Sultan  of,  170. 
171. 


202 


INDEX 


Dancing-girls,  133, 134. 

Death,  ceremonies  at,  132. 

Deer.  See  Kantjil. 

Devi,  148. 

Dialects,  138,  139. 

Dieng  Mountains,  62,  145. 

Diversions,  136, 137 ; of  children,  134, 
135. 

Divisions  of  time,  142. 

Divorce,  88,  131. 

Djokjokarta,  26,  146,  151, 182. 

Dogs,  wild,  71. 

Doves,  ring  and  turtle,  78. 

Dress,  93,  94,  95. 

Ducks,  77 ; eggs  of,  98. 

Dutch,  first  arrival  in  Java,  23, 173. 
Dutch  East  India  Company,  25,  179, 
184. 

Dutch  East  Indian  Empire,  24. 

Dutch  protectorate,  26,  115, 182. 
Dutch  resident,  114. 

Dutch  rule,  113,  114,  115. 

Dutch  universities,  186. 

Dwars  in  den  Weg,  island,  17 ; ap- 
pearance of,  18. 

Dyes,  56. 

Earthquakes,  29, 38.  See  Kralcatoa. 
East  Indian  Archipelago,  21,  22, 154, 
183. 

East  Indian  service,  185. 

East  Indies,  Dutch  settle  in,  23. 
Edible  birds’-nests,  79,  80. 

Egypt,  154. 

Elephants,  64. 

Emperor’s  Island,  17. 

English  East  India  Company,  24. 
Entertainments,  133,  134,  141. 
Eruptions.  See  Earthquakes. 
Esculent  swallow,  79. 

Europeans,  122,  185;  dwellings  of, 
189. 

Falcon,  76. 

Fish,  84 ; frog,  82. 

Flint,  30. 

Flowers,  52. 

Flying  fox,  67,  76;  squirrel,  cat,  73. 
Food,  98. 

Forests,  51. 

France,  24. 

Fruits,  51,  52. 

Gamalan,  the,  141. 

Game,  67. 

Games  of  chance,  137. 

Gas  fountains,  37. 

Gedeb,  volcano,  27,  28. 

Genesa,  148. 

Gbeko,  81. 

Goats,  66. 

Gold,  46. 


Governor-general,  185. 

Great  Britain,  183, 184. 

Gresek,  31, 162. 

Guwa  Upas,  62. 

Hamadryad,  84. 

Hamangkoe  Boewono,  182. 

Handicrafts,  118. 

Hanuman,  148. 

Harbors,  26,  190. 

Hats,  native,  56,  94. 

Hegira,  the,  143. 

Heron,  76. 

Het  Groote  Gat,  15. 

Hindu  Empire,  142,  158. 

Hindu  sovereigns,  158,  159, 169. 

Hindu  superstitions,  40,  68,  127. 

Hindu  worship,  144,  146,  151,  158. 

Holland,  113, 184,  200  ; king  of,  185. 

Holy  fires,  37. 

Horses,  64 ; number  of,  65. 

Hot  wells,  36. 

House,  peasant’s,  91 ; noble’s,  92. 

Houtman,  23. 

Ichneumon,  73. 

Iguana,  81. 

Important  productions,  34. 

Indian  Ocean,  sunsets  in,  11 ; storms 
in,  12. 

Indigo,  111. 

Indrapoera,  13. 

Introduction  of  the  Mohammedan 
religion,  160, 162. 

Jakatra,  24,  25,  171,  173,  174 ; river, 
188. 

Jasper,  30. 

Java,  routes  to,  9 ; appearance  of,  19 ; 
situation  of,  21 ; name  of,  21, 156 ; 
area  of,  22  ; population,  22,  65  ; 
divisions  of,  22  ; Mohammedan 
conquest  of,  22;  Dutch  settle  in, 
23  ; French  in,  24 ; British  hi,  25  ; 
lowlands  of,  32 ; temperatures  in, 
34,  60 ; fertile  soil  of,  46 ; salubrity 
of,  49 ; vegetation  of,  50  ; nature’s 
special  pet,  85 ; contrasts,  86 ; 
wealth  of,  101 ; roads,  104  ; rights 
of  land  in,  112  ; Dutch  rule  in,  113, 
114,  115 ; first  inhabitants  of,  154, 
155,  156 ; early  history  of,  159, 
163 ; Dutch  establish  their  suprem- 
acy in,  178 ; cost  of  war  in,  182 ; 
traveling  in,  195,  197  ; planters  of, 
198. 

Java  Head,  13,  28. 

Java  Sea,  14, 18,  22,  26,  33. 

Javanese  era,  143,  157. 

Javanese  people,  the,  87,  88 ; indo- 
lence, 47  ; easy  life  of,  65 ; dress, 
93;  jewelry,  95;  occupations,  118, 


INDEX 


203 


119  ; character,  120  ; credulous-  ! 
ness,  121 ; kindness  of,  122 ; jea-  | 
lousy  of,  123 ; habits  of,  124  ; faith 
of,  125 ; respect  for  rank,  1^,  128. 
See  Entertainments, 

Jawa-woet,  21, 156. 

Jungles,  34. 

Kaaba,  187. 

Kadawaug  district,  31. 

Kadoe,  province  of,  152. 

Kaiitjil,  67,  72. 

Rarang,  volcano,  28. 

Kasaka  people,  156. 

Kouingsplein,  189,  104. 

Koran,  115, 124,  186. 

Krakatoa,  14,  38,  41 ; appearance  of, 
17  ; eruption  of,  42-45. 

Kris,  94,  96,  97,  123,  129, 159. 

Lancaster,  Captain,  24. 

Langiiage,  of  honor,  128,  138,  139; 

Simda,  138 ; Kawi,  140. 

Leopard,  70. 

Literature,  140 ; poems,  141. 

Lizards,  81,  82,  102. 

Longwood,  St.  Helena,  200. 

Loro  JongroDg,  temple  of,  148. 

Macassar,  island  of,  43  ; horses  from, 
64,  65. 

Madoera,  island  of,  138. 

Magnolia,  53. 

Mahogany-tree,  51. 

Maize,  103. 

Malacca,  city  of,  22,  23. 

Malay  Archipelago,  9,  183. 

Malays,  87,  90, 124,  138, 191. 

Mangkoe  Boemi,  180, 181. 

Mango,  52. 

Marabout,  76. 

Marriage,  131. 

Mats,  55,  56,  92. 

Mecca,  125,  187. 

Merapi,  volcano,  28. 

Merbaboe,  volcano,  28. 

Metals,  46. 

Minerals,  46. 

Minto,  Earl  of,  25. 

Modjopahit,  125, 158,  161,  165-169. 
Mohammedan  conquest,  22,  169. 
Molenvliet,  190, 101. 

Molucca  Islands,  23. 

Monkeys,  73 ; varieties  of,  and  habits, 
74. 

Monsoons,  16 ; dry,  48. 

Moral  precepts,  116. 

Mosques,  186. 

Mountains,  28,  30. 

Music,  141. 

Hakoda  Ismael,  22. 


Napoleon,  200. 

Natives.  See  Javanese  people. 
Nederlaudsche  Handel  Maatschappy, 
184. 

Netherlands,  25,  183. 

New  Horn,  25. 

Oceania,  21. 

Oengarang,  volcano,  28. 

Oleander,  53. 

Omens,  74,  82,  120,  121,  171. 

Opium,  00 ; smoking, 

Otter,  72. 

Ox,  64. 

Padang,  10, 12. 

Pajajaran,  157,  160. 

Pakoe  Nogoro,  181. 

Palaces,  Sultan’s,  92,  93. 

Palm,  varieties  of,  51. 

Panthers,  67,  70. 

Papandajung,  eruption  of,  29,  45* 
Paper-tree,  55. 

Partridges,  77. 
i Paroquets,  77. 

Passaran,  155. 

Patjitan,  26. 

Peacock,  67,  75,  77. 

Pelican,  67,  76. 

Pepper,  red,  98. 

Pesantran,  5Q. 

Petroleum,  36. 

Pigeons,  77. 

Planters,  106,  198. 

Plover,  78. 

Pohon  upas.  See  Poison~iree, 

Point  St.  Nicholas,  18. 

Poison-tree,  61. 

Polygamy,  88  j effects  of,  123. 
Porcupine,  72. 

Porphyry,  30. 

Portuguese,  22,  23,  125,  183. 

Post  stations,  104. 

Potato,  103. 

Practice  of  filing  the  teeth,  95,  96. 
Preanger  district, 

Precious  stones,  46. 

Priests,  115,  126. 

Prince’s  Island,  15. 

Pumice,  floating,  14,  42 ; showers  of, 
43. 

Python,  83. 

Quail,  77. 

“ Queen  of  the  E^t,”  20. 

Queen  Elizabeth,  24. 

Radan  Adipati,  114. 

Radan  Patah,  166-170. 

Radan  Rachmat,  162,  163, 164* 
Railroads,  104, 195. 

Rattan,  51,  55. 


204 


INDEX 


Regents,  92 ; dress  of,  95. 

Religion,  Mohammedan,  68,  125. 
Residencies,  22. 

Resident,  114. 

Rhinoceros,  67  ; habits  of,  69 ; horn 
of,  70. 

Rice,  plantations  of,  33  ; cultivation 
of,  51,  102. 

Rice  sawahs,  15,  32, 101. 

Rights  of  land,  112. 

Rivers,  30,  31 ; general  character- 
istics of,  32. 

Roebuck,  67.  09,  72. 

Rotterdam,  200. 

Rubber-tree,  51. 

Ruins,  141,  144-153. 

Saint  Helena,  island  of,  199. 

Salak,  volcano,  27,  28. 

Samarang,  26,  89, 179. 

Sandalwood  Island,  horses  from,  64, 
65. 

Sandalwood-tree,  51. 

Sandy  Sea,  description  of,  38,  39. 
Sarong,  93 ; painting  of,  118. 
Scenery,  33,  196,  197. 

Schools,  185, 186. 

Scincoidian,  82. 

Scorpions,  82. 

Seasons,  16,  48. 

Sermiroe,  volcano,  28 ; outbreak  of, 
38. 

Serpents,  82 ; varieties,  83. 

Sharks,  fA- 
Sheep,  06. 

Sheik  Ibn  Moelana,  165. 

Siamese,  155. 

Silver,  46. 

Sindoro,  volcano,  28. 

Singapore,  10,  184. 

Siri,  96,  99. 

Siva,  148. 

Slavery,  88. 

Soap-tree,  59. 

Soemba,  64. 

Soerabaja,  26,  89,  104,  179. 
Soerakarta,  26,  146;  palace  at,  93, 
172, 180. 

Soesoenan,  31,  93,  114,  167,  179;  suc- 
cession of,  115 : respect  for,  127  ; 
state  observed  by,  129 ; public  ap- 
pearance of,  135. 

Solo  River,  31. 

Spices,  51. 

Stag,  69 ; hunting,  136. 

Stork,  7& 

Straits  of  Sunda,  13,  22,  42,  43,  104  ; 
description  of,  15,  16. 


Straits  Settlements,  184. 

Suez  Canal,  10,  11. 

Sugar,  34,  51,  98 ; cane,  101 ; manu- 
facture of,  104 ; palm,  103. 

Sultan,  130. 

Sultan  Hamangkoe  Boewono,  182. 
Sumatra,  12,  13,  24,  41 ; horses  from, 
64 ; Malays  from,  87 ; pepper.  111. 
Snmbah,  129. 

Sumbawa  Island,  38,  45. 

Sunda  Islands,  21,  37,  64. 
Superstitious.  See  Omeru, 

Swine,  66. 

Tagal,  volcano,  28. 

Tallow-tree,  60. 

Tambora,  volcano,  outburst  of,  38, 
45. 

Tandjong  Priok,  190. 
Tankoeban-Prahoe,  volcano,  28. 
Taxes,  112, 184. 

Tea,  34,  51. 

Teak,  forests  of,  51,  119  ; tree,  68  ; 
varieties  of,  57. 

Temperatures,  different,  34,  50. 
Teng’gers  Mountains,  29,  38,  40. 
Thousand  Isles,  18. 

Thousand  Temples,  149, 150. 

Tidal  wave,  44,  45;  loss  of  life  from, 
41. 

Tiger-cat,  67,  71. 

Tigers,  67  ; habits,  68 ; combats,  136. 
Timor  Island,  183. 

Tjilatjap,  26. 

Tjiliwong  River,  188. 

Toads,  82. 

Tobacco,  34,  51 ; use  of,  99  ; cultiva- 
tion of,  110. 

Trade  winds,  16. 

Tritrista,  157. 

Turtles,  82. 

Valley  of  poison,  62. 

Varken’s  Hoek,  18. 

Victoria  regia,  53. 

Volcanoes,  28. 

Ifaringin-tree,  60,  92,  93. 

W^1iotf%;  mud  and  salt,  37; 

graseous,  37. 

Wild-cat,  72. 

Wild  cock,  76. 

Wild  fowl,  77. 

Wild  goose,  78. 

Wolves,  71. 

Woodcock,  78. 

Wynkoops  Bay,  26. 


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has  been  able  to  do  this,  and  his  book  will  be  welcomed  by  old  and  young. 
. — Boston  Beacon. 


CMERRIAM'S  'Birds  through  an  Opera  Glass. 

A capital  text-book  of  the  right  sort  for  young  observers  of  Natural  His- 
tory. By  text-book  we  do  not  mean  a formal  school-book,  but  a book  with  a 
clear  method,  a capital  style,  and  adequate  information.  This  little  volume 
describes  all  the  birds  to  be  found  in  our  fields  and  woods : describes  them, 
not  as  an  ornithological  treatise,  but  as  a keen-eyed  and  thoroughly  interest- 
ing observer  would  describe  them.  Such  a volume  ought  to  be  the  com- 
panion of  every  intelligent  boy  and  girl  during  the  summer.  — Christian 
Union  (New  York). 

The  book  is  deserving  of  praise  for  its  eminently  practical  nature.  The 
hints  to  observers  with  which  it  opens,  the  appendix  giving  the  classification 
of  birds  by  general  family  characteristics,  by  localities,  by  colors,  by  song, 
the  books  of  reference,  and  the  index,  all  combine  to  make  the  book  extremely 
useful.  — The  Academy  (Syracuse). 


GREENE’S  Coal  and  the  Coal  Mines. 

In  the  vehicle  of  the  author’s  terse,  vigorous  language,  the  reader  is  then 
taken  down  into  the  subterranean  passages,  where  he  is  almost  made  to  see 
the  operations  of  mining  the  fuel,  so  vividly  and  picturesquely  is  the  infor- 
mation conveyed.  Interesting  and  valuable  statistics  are  quoted,  amusing 
incidents  are  related,  entertaining  descriptions  and  wise  suggestions  are 
given  and  made,  and,  taken  altogether,  though  dealing  largely  with  what  is 
essentially  dry  in  its  nature,  the  book  makes  good  reaeSng  for  the  old  as  well 
as  the  young.  — The  American  (Philadelphia). 

The  exhaustive  theme  of  coal  and  coal  mining  is  made  so  concise  and 
simple  that  a child  can  thoroughly  comprehend  it.  The  author  covers  the 
ground  of  study  in  a simple  and  interesting  way,  and  furnishes  illustrations 
to  make  the  words  clearer.  — New  York  School  Journal. 

MISS  BAMFORTD’S  Up  and  Down  the  Brooks. 

Phis  is  a book  which  it  is  a pleasure  to  read  and  a duty  to  praise.  Miss 
Bamford  tells  us  of  her  rambles  by  the  California  brookside,  and  her  ac- 
quaintances made  there ; of  their  habits,  their  transformations,  death  and 
burial,  or  happier  release  after  a period  of  observation  by  the  captor.  . . . 
On  the  whole,  we  do  not  know  among  recent  books  any  more  likely  to  give 
pleasure  to  the  nature-loving  boy  or  girl,  or  more  calculated  to  stimulate  the 
taste  for  healthy  recreation  and  good  reading.  — The  Nation  (New  York). 

A charming  book,  full  of  most  fascinating  details  in  the  lives  of  little- 
known  insects,  and  opening  a rich  field  of  study  and  interest,  accessible  to 
every  country  child.  . . . \Ve  would  put  the  book  into  the  hands  of  every 
girl  and  boy. — Epoch  (New  York). 

MISS  LARCOM’S  New  England  Girlhood. 

More  than  all,  as  a vivid,  tenderly  sympathetic  yet  uncompromisingly 
truthful  picture  of  phases  of  New  England  life,  in  home  and  at  work,  which 
have  now  practically  ceased  to  be,  the  book  has  a permanent,  one  may  say 
an  historical  value.  — Boston  Advertiser. 

The  story  is  one  that  will  aid  other  girls  to  make  the  most  of  their  oppor- 
tunities, and  help  them  in  understanding  the  real  value  of  life.  It  is  a book 
that  every  girl  will  be  better  for  having  read.  — Boston  Herald. 

E.  CHESTER’S  Girls  and  IVomen. 

I do  sincerely  hope  that  all  the  girls  of  the  day  may  read  it ; it  is  capable 
of  making  a splendid  generation  of  them.  ...  I shall  be  very  glad  if  any 
words  of  mine  can  aid  in  the  least  the  introduction  to  notice  of  such  a book 
as  “ Girls  and  Women.”  It  will  not  need  much  praise;  it  will  praise  itself. 
— .Adeline  D.  T.  Whitney,  Milton,  Mass. 

It  fills  the  place  for  young  women  that  is  filled  for  young  men  by  Dr. 
Hunger’s  book,  “ On  the  Threshold.”  . . . Miss  Chester’s  words  are  worth 
their  weight  in  gold.  — Boston  Herald. 


HOUGHTON,  MIFFLIN  AND  COMPANY, 

4 Park  St.,  Boston;  ii  East  17TH  St.,  New  York. 


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